Job#3

 In “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, Fahrquhar imagines in his mind that he is dropped into the water and is drowning. When I was younger, I had an experience with drowning in a way. I didn’t drown obviously but I was close. And when I read that part in the story, I remembered how it felt to be under the water, wondering if I would ever come up again. It was a very scary experience and I think Bierce did a good job of describing it. “A frightful roaring was in his ears and all was cold and dark.” I think that drowning would be a horrible way to die and I’m thankful that’s not how I died when I was little!

Comments

  1. HollyHockNovember 3, 2020 at 8:45 AM

    Yikes! That sounds terrifying! I am thankful as well that God's protection over you.

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  2. BradenNovember 3, 2020 at 10:13 AM

    Wow... You really know what you're talking about! (I don't envy you!)
    You could say that the whole story gives the reader a sinking feeling!

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  3. JoshuaRGNovember 3, 2020 at 1:38 PM

    Woah, Claire. it is really interesting (I do not want to say amazing) and maybe a little scary when your experiences are relatable to a story you're reading, and it probably makes the story seem more real. I wonder if Ambrose Bierce ever came that close to drowning...

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    Replies
    1. Elsah's Exuberant, Enthusiastic Short Story BlogNovember 3, 2020 at 3:11 PM

      That's a great thought Joshua. It is apparent that a lot of the time authors include specific events in a story that they themselves experienced in real life. I wonder if he did ever have a drowning experience. One would think so by the way he described it in this book. But then again, the author of The Red Badge of Courage described war so well even though he never fought a battle.

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  4. Elsah's Exuberant, Enthusiastic Short Story BlogNovember 3, 2020 at 3:09 PM

    Oh wow Claire! I am so sorry that you had to experience that, but I am so thankful God allowed you to be rescued! That's a great real life connection. I bet it made the story all the more meaningful to you, especially at that part in the book. Was Farquhar just imagining this, or did this really happen? It's hard to tell sometimes what is actually happening and what is just being imagined. Thoughts?

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    Replies
    1. JoshuaRGNovember 4, 2020 at 6:55 AM

      I'm pretty sure that Farquhar just imagined this, because it seems that the story of "real" events goes through all of Chapter I, skips Chapter II (because, although it did happen, it happened before Chapter I and is like a flashback), goes through the first few sentences of Chapter III, skipping the majority of the chapter, and ends with the last sentence of Chapter III. This is just what I think counts as reality, but I could totally be wrong.

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    2. MercyNovember 4, 2020 at 12:10 PM

      I agree with Joshua. At the beginning of chapter 3 "Farquhar fell straight downward through the bridge" and at the end of chapter three "his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge." I think everything else in that chapter was a dream.(freeing his hands, undoing the noose, drowning, being shot.) Claire, I'm glad you are in the class. and didn't drown!

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