Realism in "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"

The short story written by Ambrose Bierce entitled "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" seems to harness almost every aspect of realism. It exhibits characteristics such as a detailed setting and plot, a reference to the middle-class hero, and a likable or "humanized" protagonist. These aspects make the Bierce's work not only highly effective, but it is very enjoyable for the reader as well. It is because of these characteristics that "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is so easily identified as a work under the genre of realism.

One of the main distinguishing factors pointing this work to realism is its superb attention to detail. A highly detailed plot and setting is very characteristic of works in the realism time period (Campbell). The story starts out in the Civil War era in what seems to be the South on a peaceful forest bridge (Bierce). It comes as no surprise at all that the story is set during the Civil War because it was at this time that the entire genre of realism started to appear (Werlock). More specifically, the author notes the exact layout of the bridge, setup, and hanging that is to come for the main character Peyton Farquhar. This is apparent in this quote from the opening of the story: "Some loose boards laid upon the sleepers supporting the metals of the railway supplied a footing for him and his executioners--two private soldiers of the Federal army, directed by a sergeant who in civil life may have been a deputy sheriff" (Bierce). The immense detail in the story not only reveals the realistic nature of the story, but it greatly enhances the plot for the reader. These details reveal a very important part, which is that the story does in fact take place during the Civil War, and they help to distinguish the more refined types of people they are. For instance, in the second part the reader finds out that Farquhar is a slave owning southerner and plantation owner (Bierce).

Another revealing aspect of realism found in this story is the fact that the middle class man is made out to be the hero of sorts, which is another significant trait of the realism period (Campbell). It is apparent throughout the story that Farquhar is a simple southern man through his thoughts and language. For instance, he does what any patriotic citizen would do to go against "the yanks," and he attempts to burn down Owl Creek Bridge (Bierce). Of course, this gets him into trouble down the road. His escape is not so ordinary, but ultimately, the reader finds out that Farquhar yet agin is just a simple man with normal wishes; he wants to see his family again. But of course, these dreams are crushed by his imagination when he is hanged in the river (Bierce). Even in the last line of the story, Bierce's recurring quality of detailed description returns when he says, "Peyton Farquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge" (Bierce).

The staged ambush leads to another quality of Farquhar that is very "humanized" and "normal" (Werlock) Bierce seems to include this quality to give the story maybe a more widespread appeal in society. This tied along with the use of simple vernacular language in the stories was another common trait of realism exemplified in this short story (Campbell).

Works Cited

Bierce, Ambrose. "Fiction: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." Fiction: The EServer Fiction Collection. Web. 18 Jan. 2011. .

Campbell, Donna M. "Realism in American Literature, 1860-1890." Literary Movements. Dept. of English, Washington State University. 21 Mar. 2010. Web. 18 Jan. 2011.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "'Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge'." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CASS629&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 18, 2011).