Analysis

• Who is the main character in "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"?

  Peyton Farquhar.
• What is the setting of the story?

  The story is set during the American Civil War, at a railroad bridge over Owl Creek in northern Alabama.
• What point of view is used in the story?

  The story uses third-person limited point of view, which shifts between perspectives.
• In what section of the story does the point of view shift to the federal scout's perspective?

  In Section 2.
• What important information does the reader learn in Section 2?

  The reader learns that the soldier who visits Farquhar's farm is actually a federal scout, setting him up for capture.
• How does Peyton Farquhar imagine his escape?

  Farquhar imagines escaping by diving into the water, evading the soldiers' gunfire, and swimming to safety.
• What is the twist at the end of the story?

  The twist is that Farquhar's escape was only imagined in his mind as he was actually hanged and died at the beginning of the story.
• What literary technique does Bierce use to describe the passage of time during Farquhar's imagined escape?

  Bierce uses vivid sensory details and distorted time perception, making it seem as though Farquhar has time to experience his escape in great detail.
• What does the story reveal about the nature of war and death?

  The story highlights the brutal, sudden nature of death during wartime, as well as the contrast between idealized escape and the harsh reality.
• What is the significance of the ticking watch in the story?

  The ticking watch symbolizes the passage of time and Farquhar's growing realization that his imagined escape is slipping away, as well as the imminence of his death.
• What does Peyton Farquhar long for in the story?

  Farquhar longs for the chance to serve the Confederate cause, gain distinction, and return home to his wife and children.
• How does the story play with the reader's expectations?

  The story misleads the reader into believing Farquhar escapes, only to reveal in the end that his escape was part of his delusion before death.
• What is the symbolism of the bridge in the story?

  The bridge symbolizes the threshold between life and death, as Farquhar's execution takes place there.
• What role does the natural world play in the story?

  The natural world, such as the river, forest, and wildlife, contrasts with the violence and harshness of the human world, serving as a backdrop for Farquhar's escape and his ultimate death.