ipl-logo

Archetypes In An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

1666 Words7 Pages

According to the dictionary, humanity is “the quality or state of being humane” (Merriam-Webster). Being humane says that we should be compassionate and generous. This is how we should be treating others, yet during times of war and strife it often seems that humanity is thrown out, leaving people in a primal state. This affects not only the soldiers actively taking part in the war effort but also those seemingly innocent bystanders. In the short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce, the author portrays a semi-omniscient narrator prescribing one such innocent. The various archetypes introduced through the settings, the temporal symbolisms, the colors, and the character types help to analyze the final thought processes of …show more content…

Unlike most archetypal stories, he does not demonstrate the characteristics of “the hero.” Instead, he portrays the farmer and the scapegoat. The farmer is a cultivator and a grower of things. In this story, Peyton’s occupation is that of “a well to do planter… a slave owner… [and] a politician” (Bierce 2). Each of these roles cultivates something. As a planter, he cultivates produce, as slave owner he cultivates future slaves, and as politician he cultivates laws. The cultivator often provides sage advice for the protagonist. This sage advice generally is simple and straightforward, much like the archetypal farmer that gives voice to it. Peyton also is the scapegoat, due to following his own advice and that of a Northern spy that informs him of the bridge’s existence. The scapegoat is the person upon “whose death in a public ceremony expiates some taint or sin of a community” (Archetypes 5). Scapegoats are an unfortunate aspect of life since many people refuse to take responsibility for their own actions, needing to place the blame on others. While Peyton does not quite fit this exactly, since he is paying for his own crimes, his death by public hanging expiates the surrounding populace from his possible sabotage. Dual archetypes, and more often more, are present within all people; no person is a but one single

Show More
Related

  • Suspense In An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

    528 Words  | 3 Pages

    An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge was a story written by Ambrose Bierce. He wrote it to be a suspenseful and confusing short story. The suspense brought on by Bierce employed to clench one's attention throughout this short story by using numerous literary techniques. With his use of imagery Bierce displayed that, in his mind, Farquhar, while being hanged, still had all of his thoughts and he believed that he was escaping the army, bringing suspense to the story. Farquhar thought that the rope had snapped and that he had fallen into the water, he imagined himself escaping the military by swimming away.

    Read More

  • Summary: An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

    814 Words  | 4 Pages

    "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" begins with the capture of the protagonist Peyton Farquhar, a plantation and slave owner. Bierce paints a vivid picture of the surroundings around Farquhar as he awaits to be hanged. It then flashes back to the days leading up to the hanging. Where Farquhar was deceived by a federal spy claiming to be a confederate soldier. In the end, we see Farquhar escape from reality as he is serving his sentence to finally his demise.

    Read More

  • An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge And Chickamauga Analysis

    1328 Words  | 6 Pages

    All readers long for an exciting story; no one wants to read a boring book. Readers want a book that captivates them, rocks them to the core, changes the way they view things. Without a doubt, this is something Ambrose Bierce accomplishes in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” and “Chickamauga.” In modern times, most readers are used to plot twists and expected endings; however, Bierce was one of the first authors to incorporate these into literary works. Because of this, the shock, violence, and gore used in his stories made his stories to become immensely influential at the time of their publication and still remain important literary works today.

    Read More

  • Selfishness In Mark Twain's The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer

    435 Words  | 2 Pages

    Man is undoubtedly kind hearted because they will always help others who are down and in worse condition than themselves. Man is instinctively selfless as well. They will put their protection and safety in jeopardy to ensure the well being of another individual. The nature of man is kind hearted and selfless. Others will argue that humans are actually selfish, and only do good for personal gain.

    Read More

  • John Proctor: A Tragic Hero

    747 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the town of Salem is afflicted with hysteria, intolerance, and accusations that lead to death. According to philosopher Aristotle, a tragic hero possesses a tragic flaw, excessive pride, and an inevitable downfall. Protagonist John Proctor illustrates a tragic hero because he is presented as happy, powerful, and privileged, which later leads him to suffer because of his own actions. First of all, John Proctor possesses a fatal flaw, pride, which is a characteristic of a tragic hero. Proctor’s fatal flaws includes honesty and pride.

    Read More

  • The Crucible Reputation

    691 Words  | 3 Pages

    Parris, John Proctor and Abigail exhibit the theme of reputation through their words and actions. These characters in The Crucible have strong feelings about how others view their overall quality or character. For every decision that is made there is always a consequence. Each character was willing to do anything to ensure their reputations safety.

    Read More

  • Archetypes In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

    1428 Words  | 6 Pages

    However, looking beyond what is initially shown, a new context can adhered to the plot. Carl Jung’s theory of archetypal patterns delves into the human psyche by analyzing its parts. According to Jung, the human mind is split into three different parts; the ego, the personal unconscious, and the collective unconscious- which can be split into many different archetypes that impact personality (McLeod). Oates uses archetypes and symbolism to show the battle of a young girl trying make her own home and identity in a world that

    Read More

  • The Rocking Horse Winner And An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

    1001 Words  | 5 Pages

    While reading the 5 fiction short stories there became a common pattern between 3 stories and the characters in them. These stories are “The Rocking Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence, “I Stand Here Ironing” by Tillie Olsen, and “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”. Every character has the mindset to possibly fulfill their goals to better and/or change their lives. “The Rocking Horse Winner” is about a boy named Paul who wants to win his mother’s love and attention. By giving her the life she always wanted.

    Read More

  • An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge Death Essay

    501 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shadows of Death In the story, Peyton Farquhar dies, but as a reader, we do not learn this fact until the very end. Ambrose Bierce hides this fact until the end by providing an adventure through the mind of a dying Peyton Farquhar. Along the incredible journey of “escape”, Bierce alludes to the inevitable end to which the reader is captured by the idea that Peyton Farquhar could actually get away. The short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” has several literary techniques that capture the reader’s attention.

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar: Brutus As A Tragic Hero

    326 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Shakespeare 's “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”, Brutus is presented as the tragic hero. He fits all of the criteria and requirements of a tragic hero. He is presented as the protagonist who has a tragic flaw that causes him to make decisions that lead to his death. Brutus is given several opportunities to turn back from mistakes but he never does. Brutus understands his inevitable fate of death when it is brought upon him.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Humanity In David Benioff's 'City Of Thieves'

    764 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to the Merriam Webster online dictionary, humanity can be describes as “the quality or state of being humane” (in other words being kind to others) or “the quality or state of being human.” In David Benioff’s novel City of Thieves, both definitions can can be used when discussing the loss of humanity. From the cannibals in the marketplace to the young women in the farmhouse and the German soldiers, there are many examples of how people may lose their humanity during stressful times, especially during times of war. Lev is faced with many challenges throughout his journey where his humanity and the humanity of others is tested. When in a war ravaged, desperate atmosphere humanity can be an extremely tough thing for people to hold

    Read More

  • Robert Bolt's A Man For All Seasons

    662 Words  | 3 Pages

    For instance, the execution of the main character, the culmination of his guilty mind,

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Hamlet Was No Tragic Hero

    967 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hamlet Was No Tragic Hero As written and performed by many Greek stories, a tragic hero is an archetype that many apply to the play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare. In the play, the character Hamlet is on a mission to avenge the death of his father by killing his uncle, Claudius. This eventually leads him down a road he doesn’t want to be on and tragically dies in the end, along with claudius, his mother, Gertrude, and his dead ex girlfriend's brother, Laertes.

    Read More

  • Archetypes In The Pearl

    640 Words  | 3 Pages

    The psychologist, Carl Jung, says that universal characters reside within the collective unconscious of people around the world. These characters are called archetypes. According to Jung, every story has similar archetypes to each other. The Pearl, written by John Steinbeck, also has archetypes. There are many different archetypes in the novella, The Pearl.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Patterns In Literature

    1675 Words  | 7 Pages

    The interpretations and meanings given to novels written in the past may be greatly different to what the author wanted to convey, and vice versa. With our current point of view and perception we observe these dots that the author provided us with, and according to our current social standards, we connect them in a way that seems most true to us. However, the meaning brought upon by these connections is far from absolute truth and can be subjective. For instance, “the curtains were blue”, might mean that the curtains represent the author’s immense depression and lack of will to carry on. Even though this example is taken from a meme, it can prove a substantial point about patterns.

    Read More

More about Archetypes In An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

Open Document