The use of Foreshadowing in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
Authors use foreshadowing to give hints to the reader of how a story may end.
Ambrose Bierce uses foreshadowing in his short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek
Bridge.” Bierce uses symbolism, description, and setting to give the reader clues of
Peyton Farquhar’s impending death.
Early on in the story, while awaiting his execution, Farquhar heard a loud
“Striking…like the stroke of a blacksmith’s hammer”. At first, the strikes occur at regular
intervals; however, the periods of silence between the strikes steadily grew longer.
Peyton Farquhar realized that this was the ticking of his watch.
Clocks and watches are often used as familiar symbols for time. Bierce first made
the metallic tick of the second hand of the watch a sound equivalent to a death knell—
drawing the reader’s attention to the watch, giving it extraordinary qualities (also,
furthering the idea of death). Once the reader’s attention was drawn to the watch, Bierce
then had the ticks of the second hand slow down. Since it is improbable that the
mechanical watch would start to malfunction at this precise moment, the tick of the watch
symbolizes time, in Farquhar’s point of view, slowing down. This sets up the idea that it
is possible that Farquhar could have about a fifteen minute daydream last almost 24 hours
in his own mind.
Once Farquhar, in his mind, escaped from his captures, he took a moment to
enjoy everything that he thought he would never see again. He was quick to notice the
veining of the leaves along the bank and the bugs around him. This description also lets
the reader know that something is not how it seems. It is humanly impossible for
Farquhar to see the veins of the leaves and insects in the trees, at least twenty yards away,
while floating down a river. Furthermore, when the sentinel raised his weapon to shoot
him from fifty yards away, it would be impossible for Farquhar to distinguish the color of
his eyes. This is another clue to tip the reader off that he is not really escaping.
Unfortunately, memory is not a reliable tool. Bierce uses this idea to convey to the
reader that Farquhar is in an alternate reality. While running through the woods, he
passed unrecognizable gardens and constellations. In life, people usually pay attention to
what is in front of them and not the world around. Since Farquhar was dead set to find his
home, he was unable to remember all the intricate details leading up to his house.
Actually, he was so surprised that the ground was so soft, “he could no longer feel the
roadway beneath his feet!”, he didn’t realize that his feet were no longer planted on the
ground.
To create a plausible ending, authors must use foreshadowing. Ambrose Bierce
uses the tick of the watch, super human abilities, and how memory is unreliable to show
that Peyton Farquhar is heading for a gruesome end.