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Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge Suspense Essay

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Ambrose Bierce appears as a master of suspense in the Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. The way Bierce conveys suspense leaves the readers on edge, grabbing their attention. With Peyton Farquhar being the protagonist, readers know everything about him; who he is, what he does, and what he thinks and feels. Parts one and two of the short story the narrator gives an account of what Peyton Farquhar was accused of and/or guilty of but also why he was at the bridge, part three is told in flashback style, which is one of many methods used to contribute to the suspense of the short story. Bierce’s use of flashbacks, imagery, and the chronological order of the story all contribute to a suspenseful effect.
Flashbacks throughout the story take part in a major role of suspense by making the story seem longer than it actually is. In part two of the story Peyton and his wife are visited by a soldier who informs them ”The Yanks are repairing the railroads…any civilian caught interfering with the railroad, its bridges, tunnels or trains will be summarily hanged”(532). With the scout being a soldier from the North and Peyton being a plantation owner from the South adds suspense due to the different of opinions of what is right and wrong.
Normal chronological order is disrupted through this story with news of the hanging placed at the end rather than the …show more content…
The use of word choice and changing perspectives were also used in the story. Bierce's diction for when he is describing the soldiers which adds tension “The company faced the bridge, staring stonily, motionless” (481). The soldiers present no emotion to what is about to happen to Farquhar. Bierce also jumps from different perspectives, playing a trick on the reader's mind. Part one starts in the present but part two is described in the past and then switching back to present in part

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