An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce

1
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose
Bierce
Feature Menu
Introducing the Story Literary Focus Point of
View Reading Skills Analyzing Sequence of Events
2
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose
Bierce
3
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose
Bierce
Our minds can conjure up vivid scenarios of
triumph or defeat, joy or disaster.
What thoughts might race through the mind of a
person who faces death? To what extremes might
the human imagination go?
4
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose
Bierce
As this story opens, a man named Peyton Farquhar
is about to be hanged from a bridge by Union
soldiers.
As we follow Farquhars last, desperate thoughts
of escape, we learn

• who he is

• how he came to be in this situation

• his fateimagined and real

End of Section
5
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Literary
Focus Point of View
Point of view is the vantage point from which a
writer tells a story.
Like a movie camera panning the scene and then
zooming in close, the narrator of Bierces story
adopts several points of view.
6
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Literary
Focus Point of View
As you read the story, watch for these points of
view
omniscientthe narrator seems to know everything
about all the characters or events
objectivethe narrator reports the events in a
detached way without comment
third-person limitedthe narrator zooms in on the
thoughts and feelings of a single character
End of Section
7
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Reading
Skills Analyzing Sequence of Events
Bierce relates the events of this story out of
sequence.
As you read, make a list of the major events in
the order in which theyre presented.
8
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Reading
Skills Analyzing Sequence of Events
After youve finished reading, create a time line
that shows the order in which the events actually
happened.
Chronological Order of Events
Peyton learns that Union forces have taken Owl
Creek Bridge.
Peyton is about to be hanged by Union soldiers.
9
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Reading
Skills Analyzing Sequence of Events
Compare your first list of events with your time
line. Think about why Bierce chose to relate the
events out of sequence.
End of Section
10
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Background
Bierce pulls no punches He attempts to depict
people and events as they really are.
This realism stands in stark contrast to romantic
notions of life and storytelling.

• The story is set in the Deep South during the
  Civil War (18611865).

• The horrors of war serve as a setting for
  Bierces real focus the mind of a man condemned
  to death.

End of Section
11
Vocabulary
12
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Vocabulary
Previewing the Vocabulary sentinel n. guard
sentry. deference n. respect. perilous adj.
dangerous. encompassed v. used as adj.
surrounded enclosed. oscillation n. regular
back-and-forth movement. pivotal adj. central
acting as a point around which other things turn.
13
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Vocabulary
Previewing the Vocabulary appalling adj.
frightful. gyration n. circular movement
whirling. abrasion n. scrape. malign adj.
harmful evil.
14
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Vocabulary
Vocabulary Activity Synonyms Match the synonyms
in the left-hand column with the Vocabulary words
in the right.
a. sentinel b. encompassed c. pivotal
d. gyration e. abrasion

• enclosed _____
• scrape _____
• guard _____
• central _____
• whirling _____

b
e
a
c
d
15
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Vocabulary
Vocabulary Activity Antonyms Match the antonyms
in the left-hand column with the Vocabulary words
in the right.
e. deference f. perilous g. oscillation h. app
alling i. malign

• well-meaning _____
• disrespect _____
• stillness _____
• safe _____
• wonderful _____

i
e
g
f
h
End of Section
16
Meet the Writer
17
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Meet the Writer
Ambrose Bierce (18421914?) was the tenth of
thirteen children. Mainly self-educated, he
fought bravely in the Civil War before turning to
writing. His witty, caustic piecesoften exposing
the deceit and greed of his timesearned him the
nickname Bitter Bierce.
More About the Writer
End of Section