Essay on Point of View on the Cask Bridge

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” leads readers to query Ambrose Bierce about the numerous point of view shifts his story takes. Ambrose Bierce’s descriptive writing style grasps the reader’s attention, unknowingly manipulating the reader throughout the entire story. This statement holds to be true as the story line develops. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” has a variety of ups and downs throughout the story, changing the direction and perspective through its point of view of omniscient and limited omniscient. Ambrose Bierce’s various shifts deceive readers into believing the protagonist, Peyton Farquhar, has escaped a perilous fate.

Ambrose Bierce, wrote “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” in 1891. The story is about a man named Peyton Farquhar, standing on a railroad bridge above the water. His wrists are tied behind his back, and around his neck is a noose that is tied to a beam overhead. Farquhar is being prepared for execution by hanging from Owl Creek Bridge. The story took place during the American Civil War in Alabama. Tone is defined as the author’s implied attitude. Tone is important because it shows the author’s feelings about the story and characters, without directly saying it. The tone of a story affects the audience’s interpretations of the characters. In “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” the tone of the narrator is sympathetic and leaves the readers feeling compassion for the main character.

Ambrose Bierce’s short story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” and the film version directed by Robert Enrico share some similarities but mostly the differences between the two works. Both the short story and film can be compared and contrasted in relation to the emotion, detail and perspective. One is at an advantage, reading the short story before seeing the film because the story gives a better idea of what is happening and who the protagonist really is. In other words, the short story helps in providing the reader with key details that are not mentioned in the film.

Ambrose Bierce’s An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, which is a short story released in 1890, gained much popularity over the years. It is most famous for it’s manipulation of time. Though the events in the book only take seconds, the story is over eight pages long. Time seems to slow for the man in the noose and at the same time speed up for the reader. In this way, Bierce presents his manipulation of time in the story.

who he is, what he does, and what he thinks and feels. Through pronouns such as “he”, “his” and “him”, the narrator is speaking in third person. Because the narrator 's knowledge is limited to one character, the story is written from a limited omniscient point of view. “An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge” is split into three sections. At the beginning of the story, the narrator states, “A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama . . . a rope closely encircled his neck” (Bierce). Immediately, the reader knows the protagonist is about to be hanged and the story is taking place in northern Alabama. Through these specific details, the narrator is establishing his or her credibility. The second section breaks up the otherwise linear sequence of events with a flashback, where the protagonist, Peyton Farquhar, is introduced, as well as how Farquhar was deceived into undergoing a plan to prevent Union troops from crossing Owl Creek Bridge. While the flashback may take course over a span of several days, it actually takes place in roughly fifteen seconds of “real” time. Don Asher Habibi, in his critical essay, “The Experience of a Lifetime: Philosophical Reflections on a Narrative Device of Ambrose Bierce, argues “Framing a story within a flashback is a common narrative technique”. In

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce has the audience feeling multiple emotions such as shocked and on the edge of their seat from start to finish. Peyton Farquhar is a plantation owner is his mid-thirties. Farquhar was up for execution by hanging from an Alabama railroad bridge the Civil War because a Federal scout betrayed him. Bierce could mislead the readers thinking that Peyton Farquhar, was escaping from being hung when in fact it was just is imagination. Bierce engages a great use of characterization in how he describes the characters throughout the story and timing details, to have the audience sitting on the edge of their seats and having a twist that no one was expecting.

The entire story was just a snapshot that occurred in his mind before his death. Ambrose Bierce purposefully continues to build the anticipation that the devout Union soldier had escaped, only to drop the reader into a tale of demise and overall doom.

What does the Bridge in View From The Bridge symbolize? A View From The Bridge is a play written by the American playwright Arthur Miller, a prominent figure in American Theatre, this Greek tragedy adapted drama was written to emphasize on the themes of incestuous love, jealousy and betrayal. In simple geographical terms, the ‘bridge’ in the title of the play is the Brooklyn Bridge, the one that spans the East River, between the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan, New York. The title drew attention to both the subject matter and the structure of the play. The subject matter was the events that took place between Eddie, his family and Beatrice’s illegal immigrant cousins in the Sicilian-American Community of Red Hook. It is a neighborhood

Point of view, was used very effectively in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek.” Although point of view can be effective in any

The Cask of Amontillado leaves no doubt that Poe is the master of the psychological thriller as he allows the demented Montresor to settle his score with Fortunato. Monstresor begins by weaving his web with false flattery and playing on the vanity of Fortunato. Upon meeting him, he complements him on how “remarkably well” he is looking and then further sets his trap by saying: “… and I was silly enough to pay the full Amontillado price without consulting you in the matter.” By this singular statement Montresor has said that he may have made a mistake and is looking to the knowledgeable Fortunato to help him allay his fears. What better lure than to ask someone to use their superior knowledge

any contact with any men, even his own friends. It is very early on in

The story of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” expresses a dark theme with attention to death, mental deterioration, time distortion, and forces beyond nature. These themes are commonly demonstrated by the author, Ambrose Bierce, a civil war veteran. Bierce also tends to incorporate his own experiences during the war into his works as a writer. As he fought in the battle of Shiloh, he came across a waterway known as Owl Creek. Consequently, he was captured in Northern Alabama by Confederate soldiers but escaped successfully. The events that took place during this part of the civil war greatly influenced and therefore laid the foundation for the author to write the story of Owl Creek Bridge. Peyton Farquhar, the protagonist in the story, was faced with many obstacles throughout the plot’s development. Although Farquhar was threatened to be hung by Confederate soldiers, he never failed to imagine the best scenario to improve his imminent situation. “The only difference between stepping stones and stumbling blocks is how you use them”. In Owl Creek Bridge, Peyton Farquhar dealt with many obstacles thrown in his path and used them to make the best out of his dire circumstances.

The first scene begins with a fight. Obviously this introduction is indicative of some kind of intense emotion to follow. An aura of passionate emotions continues to surface throughout the play. The mood is set immediately. The audience knows that whatever is to come will be fiery and fervent. Ironically, the opening scene is the climax itself. By using this structure, the author gets right to the point that Eddie Carbone is a self-destructive character without restraint or self-control. His peers, the longshoremen, try to discourage him from fighting, but none approach him physically. By keeping a safe distance, they yield to his unbridled temper. Eddie is not a man who spends a lot of

“The Cask of Amontillado” begins with a chill describing the thousands of injuries sustained by the narrator Montresor. One soon learns that Montresor is unstable. He wants to exact his revenge on Fortunato but states that he wishes no repercussions upon himself and he craves Fortunato to know that he did not get away with his insults. This tale emits a palpable darkness that is unmistakable. Throughout the years Poe has often been the focus of many psychoanalytical attempts due to his intense style of writing. The underlying theme in Poe’s work can be attributed to his understanding of the subconscious. Though Poe does seem to weave his personal sorrows into his works the deeper plot is not altogether apparent.

Edgar Allan Poe’s specialty was horrific and gruesome tales. One in particular, “The Cask of Amontillado,” details a man, Montresor, overcome by rage. Montresor plots the perfect revenge against his insulter, Fortunato. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Edgar Allan Poe’s character Montresor is a connoisseur of revenge because he manipulates Fortunato, enjoys his revenge, and literally gets away with murder.