ambrose bierce an occurrence at owl creek bridge summary

He is a Confederacy supporter, but unknown circumstances made him unable to join the confederate army. It becomes clear that he is not a likely candidate for execution, since he comes from a privileged family and is a successful plantation (and slave) owner. In part I, he remains unidentified, and the reader gets to know him and his backstory in part II. Peyton Farquhar (round character): Peyton Farquhar is the protagonist of the story. Peyton is dead, hanging from the Owl Creek bridge. It is revealed that he never escaped at all, but that he imagined it all while he was falling. There is a loud noise, white light, and then, darkness and silence. He sees his wife and rushes to greet her, but he then feels a sharp pain on the back of his neck. The next morning, he arrives at the gates of his plantation. However, the thought of his family keeps him going.

He walks through a seemingly never-ending forest, and experiences strange hallucinations, such as hearing whispering voices in an unknown language. He gets out of the river once his executioners are out of sight, beginning his long journey home.

He begins swimming downstream to avoid the bullets. He is afraid that he will be shot when he is spotted in the water, so he quickly frees his hands and takes a breath of air. He realises that the noose has broken, since he fell into the water. He feels pain running through his body, and he is awakened by a loud splash. The story returns to the present, where Peyton is dropped from the railroad bridge. It is revealed that the soldier is secretly a Union Scout, leading Peyton into a trap. The soldier says that this can easily be sabotaged by burning the driftwood that had piled up near the bridge, but that any civilian that attempts to sabotage the mission will get hanged. The Union Troops have gotten their hands on the Owl Creek Bridge and are repairing it.

While his wife is getting the water, Peyton, a supporter of the Confederacy, asks the soldier if he has any news, to which the soldier responds that he has. In a flashback, Peyton and his wife are at home when a soldier rides up, asking for some water.

Ambrose bierce an occurrence at owl creek bridge summary