An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

I think that this clip gives great insight into how Peyton probably felt at that moment. Sometimes when people look back on a scary moment in their lives, they realize that while it was happening, it all felt like a dream going in slow motion. I think that’s what Peyton is feeling right now, and that’s why everything is slowed down.

I think that the reason the camera spins around looking at the trees above is to sort of symbolize Peyton’s world-his head is spinning, he’s tired and trying to escape, and at the end, it finally slows down and settles on a pretty picture of a bright light coming through the trees, probably to represent his final tranquility and the peacefulness that is coming when he “reunites with his wife.”

I agree with Zhenya here-I think that this does exemplify how Peyton views the world after his near-death experience. Not only from the song, but you can tell in his face, his happy and relieved expression, that he feels as though he’s seeing the world for the first time, and it is beautiful and amazing.

I think it helps a lot here to see Peyton crying right before he is hung, because it shows very clearly his agony. I also agree with Michael about the sense of suspense in the extended underwater scenes, because after a while, I found myself holding my breath (haha). That made it more real and understandable for me.

I think that this scene is important, because with the ticking of the watch, especially as the speed increases, it shows Peyton’s growing anticipation of his death. His facial expressions are important too, because he seems very upset at this point, with resentment in his face, which is something you can’t always get from reading text.

I like the angles that the filmmaker uses, but not only the views from below and above, but also the setting, as it films through the trees/forest, and I think it’s funny that they have an owl’s hoot in the background. (owl creek bridge)

I think it’s important that once again, Bierce uses imagery to symbolize Farquhad’s journey-when he “reaches home,” everything is “bright and beautiful in the morning sunshine” meaning that all is beautiful and innocent (“wide white walk”) yet the last sentence of the paragraph ends with “then all is darkness and silence!” indicating the contrasting lack of innocence and ultimate death.

I think the “black bodies of the trees formed a straight wall on both sides” is a metaphor for the war, in which neither side was completely just and innocent, therefore both were “black” (symbolic of lack of truth, something sinister) at some point, and both created a battle in which one had to make the difficult decision of choosing a side-one or the other, no in-betweens or maybes.

I kind of thought of the symbolism of “plunged into the forest” because from here on out, not only is he physically lost in the forest, but he is symbolically “in the forest” as well, because the forest is usually a place of tranquility and truth, yet if one is lost, it can be quite scary, and at this point, he is losing both his actually footing and his mind, because he is just running endlessly to get home and escape the enemy. He is throwing himself “into the jungle.”

It’s interesting how up until this precise point, Farquhar has dodged all the bullets and has been optimistic and determined, yet now he is starting to lose hope. I can’t exactly pinpoint why at this exact time his hope begins to fade, and not before or after.

It’s interesting that Peyton recognizes that this man has gray eyes and those are the keenest, because he also has gray eyes-his are “dark” though….

It’s interesting that once again, this just adds to the distance that each soldier takes from the death, and how much of a routine it is….taking someone’s life is never “just a routine,” at least it should not be.

It’s important here that the author uses very formal language in describing “accurately measured interval” and “coldly and pitilessly” because it goes back to what Lacy said about the unhman formality of the death, and how each of the people being hanged were just another one killed on the list, as if their lives were “accurately measured” and fell short.

I think that he would rather be killed in the hanging than be shot because if he was shot, that would mean that he at least survived the hanging, and it would probably be a little embarrassing to dodge one of their attempts at killing him and get so close to escaping, yet die in their second attempt with guns.

I think it’s funny that the soldier “bowed to her husband.” I may be stretching it a little more than necessary, but looking at the small things and taking into consideration the little words that the author uses, it’s kind of ironic that the soldier bows to Farquhar now, but just a little while later, Farquhar will have lost the battle.

This makes it so obvious that Farquhar is being planted in a trap, because when I read this, thought it is not described, I imagined the soldier slyly smiling while saying it, because he sees in Peyton’s eyes his hunger for adventure, and his need to help the Confederate side of the war. At this point, he knows he can manipulate him completely.

I had the same thought as Jordan-the fact that the soldier downplays the Yanks who are watching over the bridge should set off a red alarm that he is setting Peyton up, because he makes it sound as though it’s no big deal, and Farquhar can get away with it. If he were a true Confederate soldier looking out for fellow Confederates, he would warn him, not encourage him, to do something that dangerous and irrational.

I’m just a little confused about why anyone tampering with the railroad, its bridges, tunnels, or trains would be so bad as to hang the person for it…is it because the work is being done by the North and it’s helping their advance?

I think that Rachel was onto something when she said that “white” is symbolic of something, and I’ll take it a step further to say that I think it might even symbolize her being “innocent” of some sort, though I don’t know exactly how that works-perhaps foreshadowing to her husband’s lack of innocence?

I think it’s interesting that the author uses the phrase “he feared he would shriek” because it seems to foreshadow the story later, when he “rises from under the water,” and all he can do when his lungs take in air is shriek.

I think it’s interesting how Bierce describes the arrangement as “simple and effective.” Death is just the opposite, especially when involving a hanging (someone deciding someone else should die), so I think this description is interesting, and it attempts to show how distorted their views were, and how disengaged the soldiers were from their emotions.

I think the author purposely gave Farquhar various dark characteristics-dark hair, dark gray eyes. These “dark” characteristics should imply that there’s something “dark” or bad about him…

I think that Bierce purposely described the lieutenant’s position as “the point of his sword upon the ground, his left hand resting upon his right.” I think he is trying to imply that in this moment, it may not necessarily be the lieutenant who wants to have Peyton executed-his sword’s point is in the ground. However, his left hand is presiding over his right, and left usually symbolizes something wrong or sinister, while the right means something just or good.

I agree with everyone in that the author attempts to make the soldiers seem emotionally removed from what is going on, and I think that it is further shown when the author says “enforcing an erect carriage of the body.” I think the fact that he uses the particular word “enforce” illustrates, even more than before, how stiff and labored they have to be.