What is the point of An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge?

The main themes in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” are the brutality of war, disillusionment, death, and psychological escape. Brutality of War: Farquhar learns that there is no glory or romance in war; it is a brutal exercise in which human lives have no value and death becomes merely an “occurrence.

What happens at the end of An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge?

Throughout the short story, Peyton Farquhar is waiting to be hanged by the Union soldiers stationed at Owl Creek bridge. While Peyton is getting ready to die, he reflects on his life and dreams about escaping. Peyton Farquhar’s hanging actually happens in minutes and he ends up dying at the end of the story.

Where is the real Owl Creek Bridge located?

Bierce reinforces the historical accuracy of the setting with a brief reference to the fall of Corinth, Mississippi, an immediate consequence of the Battle of Shiloh in 1862. However, there is an important fictional modification in the geography of the setting. Owl Creek is in Tennessee, not northern Alabama.

Why did the federal scout lie?

The soldier tells Farquhar about how dependent the Union war effort is on the railroads and how anyone who interferes with the railroad “will be summarily hanged” by official army order. Therefore, the scout lied because he was trying to trick Farquhar into acting against the Union so that he would be caught.

Why does Farquhar perceive the sand as diamonds?

This is a metaphor because it compares Farquhar’s role in the cloud to a fiery heart. Why does Farquhar perceive the sand as diamonds, rubies, and emeralds? It is a lot more important since he was in a life or death situation.

How does Farquhar make it to the bank?

how does Farquhar get himself into his current situation? after Farquhar had fallen into the water and avoided the gunshots from the soldiers, a canon was shot near him as he swam and it created a vertex and whirled him onto the bank.

What happens as he is about to embrace his wife?

As he walks toward the house, his wife steps down from the verandah to meet him. He moves to embrace her but feels a sharp blow on the back of his neck and sees a blinding white light all about him. Then silence and darkness engulf him.

Why does Farquhar want to destroy the bridge?

Hover for more information. It seems that Peyton Farquhar attempts to destroy the Owl Creek Bridge because he believes that its destruction would injure the Union war effort and aid the Confederacy. He feels himself to be, at heart, a soldier, and he likewise believes that “all is fair in love and war.”