An Occurrence

The short novel takes place during the Civil War. Peyton Farquhar a civil of the south Is caught vlolatlng with the pair and Is sentenced to be hanged. Ambrose Bierces short story became a tense phenomenon. He maintain suspenses throughout the short story by enhancing the chief of Peyton into a deep fantasy. Bierces use of flashbacks, setting, incantation, and symbolism to create suspense.In the second aragraph the story gives a flashback to out cable television service Peytons sustenancestyle and why he is getting hanged. The flashback shows how Peyton was a slave owner and was a supporter of the cooperator army. When Peyton has a meeting with a union spy posing as a confederate soldier it created suspense because Peyton didnt bonk what the ref knew. The flashback explains how Peyton got into this mess that were learned of preferably in the story. Symbolism throughout the story is used to show life and goal. One example is the place Peyton is being hanged (the bridge).T he bridge symbolizes the path matchless must take to bilk over between life and death. On one side of the bridge represents Peytons life and the other side of the bridge where the soldiers are represented as death and war. Since Peyton took it upon himself to take action in the war he choose to crossover to the said of war otherwise referred to as death where he will be hanged. The river under Peyton withal symbolizes the passage between life and death. In other religions when someone dies, they cross over a river to get to the other side.An example would be the River Styx in Greek mythology. The River Styx is know as the border between life and death that sends souls to the other side. Bierce creates one big Illusion to the reader as Peyton Is expiry In a slow daydream. The readers perceptions of PeytonS thoughts and actions now becomes a blurred line between illusion and reality. Peyton is imagining his spring from death but the reader doesnt know it is only an illusion last ing about 3 seconds before he died. Like many say his life flashed before his eyes.His ability to escape gunfire underwater shows that he is dreaming because that would be nearly unworkable for someone who Is half conscious to dodge. This sense of Imposslblllty creates suspense as the reader wonders If Peyton will successfully escape awake(p) because It seems so unbelievable. Altogether these literary devices helped Bierce create a suspenseful short story. Without anyone of these devices he would not deem been able to make the reader suspenseful and predict the predictable result of Peyton surviving.An Occurrence By denise_bgc hort story takes place during the Civil War. Peyton Farquhar a civilian of the south is caught violating with the bridge and is sentenced to be hanged. Ambrose Bierces that sends souls to the other side. Bierce creates one big illusion to the reader as Peyton is dying in a slow daydream. The readers perceptions of Peytons thoughts would be nearly impossibl e for someone who is half conscious to dodge. This sense of impossibleness creates suspense as the reader wonders if Peyton will successfully escape alive because it seems so unbelievable.