english notes
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
Themes:
-Human’s will to survive
-Natural human desire to become victorious
-Union Army is hanging a civilian, Peyton Farquhar, because of his attempt to aid confederate forces
-disguised federal scout tricked him into his involvement at Owl Creek Bridge, which the federal forces have taken control over, and he is eventually captured
-Emphasis on the psychological side of man (is this a characteristic of romanticism or realism???)
-Before hung, sound of his watch ticking is extremely loud and irregular
-thinks about escaping right before dropped
-journey begins with his “survival” of the fall from the rope into the creek
-frees his hands in water, removes noose from neck
-Farquhar congratulates himself after this “What splendid effort! What magnificent strength!...Bravo!” Almost spectator-like?
-While swimming away, he looks back and sees the silhouettes of the army guys, he can somehow see that the sniper is gray-eyed
-able to avoid and dodge the bullets all matrix-like
-feels the fish swimming around him
Senses really enhanced in his little dream world
-sees incredible detail when he looks out of the water
*dewdrops on the grass, the beating of the dragonflies’ wings, strokes of the water-bugs’ legs
- When Farquhar’s running in the woods, he doesn’t recognize the area
You would believe that Peyton would know the forest around his house and would be able to realize where he was, but at that moment, it was all completely foreign to him…because it’s all fake!!
-gets tired on his journey
-while he continues on, he thinks of his wife and children. Ironically, this is the thought that came to him just before he was dropped in the first section
-sees strange constellations
-finally arrives home and is greeted by his wife, described as fresh and cool and sweet and beautiful, and she goes to greet him at the gate
-right as he moves to embrace her, he feels a sharp pain and a loud noise and all is black
-the reader is presented with the image of Peyton’s dead body hanging from the tree
Themes:
-Human’s will to survive
-Natural human desire to become victorious
-Union Army is hanging a civilian, Peyton Farquhar, because of his attempt to aid confederate forces
-disguised federal scout tricked him into his involvement at Owl Creek Bridge, which the federal forces have taken control over, and he is eventually captured
-Emphasis on the psychological side of man (is this a characteristic of romanticism or realism???)
-Before hung, sound of his watch ticking is extremely loud and irregular
-thinks about escaping right before dropped
-journey begins with his “survival” of the fall from the rope into the creek
-frees his hands in water, removes noose from neck
-Farquhar congratulates himself after this “What splendid effort! What magnificent strength!...Bravo!” Almost spectator-like?
-While swimming away, he looks back and sees the silhouettes of the army guys, he can somehow see that the sniper is gray-eyed
-able to avoid and dodge the bullets all matrix-like
-feels the fish swimming around him
Senses really enhanced in his little dream world
-sees incredible detail when he looks out of the water
*dewdrops on the grass, the beating of the dragonflies’ wings, strokes of the water-bugs’ legs
- When Farquhar’s running in the woods, he doesn’t recognize the area
You would believe that Peyton would know the forest around his house and would be able to realize where he was, but at that moment, it was all completely foreign to him…because it’s all fake!!
-gets tired on his journey
-while he continues on, he thinks of his wife and children. Ironically, this is the thought that came to him just before he was dropped in the first section
-sees strange constellations
-finally arrives home and is greeted by his wife, described as fresh and cool and sweet and beautiful, and she goes to greet him at the gate
-right as he moves to embrace her, he feels a sharp pain and a loud noise and all is black
-the reader is presented with the image of Peyton’s dead body hanging from the tree