“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce is split into three different sections, each subsequent section becoming more personal than the first. The first section sets up to the scene for the reader in a third person narrative. It is impersonal and gives it a sort of historical context to it. Making it seem as if the story was an actual even in history. The fact that the story begins so formally and without much detail as to how the scene came to be keeps the reader interested. It made me want to know what this man had done to be killed, being that he was a “gentleman”.
The second section gives a change in chronology. It takes the reader back to where and how this whole incident began. Although it also gives the reader more contexts on the situation, like stating that Peyton Farquhar is a slave owner and that he was a secessionist. This tells us that we are in the civil war times. But it also becomes more personal. We find out about who the man being hung is. We learn about his family, where he lives and his beliefs. The author still keeps a third person narrative and personal. For example, Peyton Farquhar is referred to as Farquhar as if referencing someone that is not a friend.
The final section was the most exciting. It returns to the original scene, beginning where the first section had left off. Even though it returns to the original spot, the feeling of this section is more personal. The reader can feel the panic of the main character to try to escape after the rope broke and he fell into the water. It is more personal since it is written in the first person. His thought process, the unexplainable miracles of Farquhar survival keeps the reader holding on to dear life as well. At the end, Bierce makes an abrupt return to the formal, third person narrative, making it the bearer of bad news.
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