Project Blog #7 - An Occurrence at Old Creek Bridge

"An Occurrence at Old Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce highly defines the realism time period because of its realistic characteristics. The story is about a man on the Confederate army being fooled by "Confederates", who actually turn out to be Yankees (Bierce). The young man is hanged, but the author catches the audiences attention by using literary methods known as flash-back and flash-forward. The realistic detail in the story also adds to its realism qualities. The author, according to Brett Barney, himself once served in the Civil War army (Barney). This detail seems rather minor, but plays a huge part in the realistic appeal the story portrays. The young man in the story, Farquhar, does not believe in slavery (Bierce). He feels it is wrong, which ultimately ties in with the ideas of Ralph Waldo Emerson. In Emerson's "American Slavery" speech, he addresses the issues of slavery and the sin that comes along with the heinous act (Koch). It is clear that the literary figure is against slavery and wishes for its demise. This philosophy is also very similar to that of Henry David Thoreau. He believed people could take an individual stand on slavery and be civil disobedient about the issue (Wayne). Resisting the government, or in this case, the south's stand on slavery, the young man in the story is ultimately portraying the philosophies of both Emerson and Thoreau.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story because of its interesting use of flash-forward as well as flash-back. It is interesting to see the man's conscience going forward to his family and putting himself in a "safe" environment. Reality hits the young man when at the end of the story readers learn that he is hanged for his apparent wrong-doing. The story itself is rather sad, but I think that is what gives it its realism quality. Reality cannot always be happy, as the young man mentally thought. Reality is sometimes harsh and cruel which is demonstrated at the end of the story.

Barney, Brett, and Lisa Paddock, eds. "Bierce, Ambrose."Encyclopedia of American Literature: The Age of Romanticism and Realism, 1816–1895, vol. 2, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008.Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Koch, Daniel Robert. "'American Slavery'." Critical Companion to Ralph Waldo Emerson: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2010.Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Bierce, Ambrose. "Fiction: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." Fiction: The EServer Fiction Collection. Web. 16 Feb. 2012.

Wayne, Tiffany K. "'Civil Disobedience'." Encyclopedia of Transcendentalism. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc

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