Feb 2

Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is unique, because the point of view changes as the story progresses. The point of view remains in third person, but transitions between specific types of third person points of view with each section of the story.

In part I of the narrative, the point of view is third person objective. The narrator is simply describing what anyone would see if they were at this scene. The narrator has no internality, and merely describes the man's looks and what it looks like the man feels, as opposed to concrete facts about who he is and what he actually feels. For example, the narrator says, "The man who was engaged in being hanged was apparently about thirty-five years of age. He was a civilian, if one might judge from his habit, which was that of a planter." The narrator say the man was "apparently about thirty-five years of age," as opposed to just saying "he is thirty-five years of age," showing the limited nature of the point of view. The first part of the narrative describes a man standing on a plank over a raging river. He has his hand bound and a noose around his neck. The narrator describes the setting and the actions of all of the characters to the best of his/her ability. In the last two paragraphs, the point of view switches to third person subjective, and the narrator briefly describes a thought going through the man's head.

Part II of the narrative uses the third person omniscient point of view. The narrator reveals the previously unknown identity of the man, giving a brief but comprehensive history of the man. The narrator also knows the location and actions being performed by each of the characters at certain points throughout the part. The man is revealed to be a wealthy, Alabama planter named Peyton Farquhar. He is a slave owner during the era preceding the American Civil War. He is visited by a soldier, and they have a quick conversation about the news. Farquhar asks the soldier what the penalty for avoiding the sentinel on the bridge would be. The soldier answers, then leaves. Later on in the night, the soldier returns to Farquhar's home, and is revealed as a Federal Scout.

Part III of this narrative uses the third person subjective pint of view. The narrator describes, in great detail, the events that take place chronologically, after part I. The narrator also knows what Farquhar is doing at any point in time and how he feels emotionally or physically. The story progresses, as the rope breaks, Farquhar falls into the river below. He evades patrols and gunfire, and eventually makes it back to his home. Just as he is about to hug his wife, he falls victim to the injuries he received during the fall and evasion. The last line of the story, Peyton Farquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge," reveals that Farquhar never actually escaped from the bridge. All of part III is his imagination, as is revealed by the narrator. The ending of the story is ironic, because it seems that Farquhar made it back to his home, but died of his wounds, but in reality, the scenario is his imagination, and he dies by hanging under Owl Creek Bridge.