An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

Bierce uses both sound and motion as motifs to explore death and perception. Afruza Khanom notes that sound, specifically silence, is used in the story to create “an atmosphere of uncertainty that forces readers to read between the lines and bring out the unwritten narrative” (Khanom 45). The reader is not certain if what Farquhar is experiencing is real or imagined. For example, the sounds the reader hears are Farquhar’s thoughts. In between his thoughts is silence. No one on the bridge utters a word, including Farquhar. Khanom notes, “Bierce effectively uses the silence of the protagonist of his story to portray the suffering and psychological torment that is present even when words are not uttered, and shrieks of pain cannot be heard” (Khanom 47). The reader sees the torment in the moments when sound should be present. For instance, Farquhar is thinking of his wife and is distracted by the watch on his wrist ticking. Bierce writes, “The intervals of silence grew progressively longer; the delays became maddening. With their greater infrequency the sound increased in strength and sharpness. They hurt his ear like the thrust of a knife; he feared he would shriek” (7-8). The silence is augmented by the torment of the ticking of the watch.

Motion is also used to explore death and perception. Part 1 has little sound and movement creating an uncomfortable stillness to the scene. This stillness is augmented by the historical narrative style. The reader is as uncomfortable as Farquhar as he stands condemned. The motion and sound become louder in Part 3 as the narrative shifts to Farquhar’s perspective. The first image the reader sees is Farquhar falling through the bridge. The reader learns that he has lost consciousness. When he wakes up, the motion and sound of the story become loud. Bierce writes, “Encompassed in a luminous cloud, of which he was now merely the fiery heart, without material substance, he swung through unthinkable arcs of oscillation, like a vast pendulum” (12). This sensation reappears throughout the rest of the story as Farquhar is turned around in vortexes, and sounds of gun and cannon fire abound. Khanom notes, “By placing Farquhar’s consciousness before the reader, the narrative simultaneously retains and breaks the silence. This technique allows for the simultaneous presence of two contrasting ontological realities” (Khanom 48). Farquhar’s perceived reality exists alongside the factual reality of his situation.