Language
When analyzing the short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, it is important to look at the language employed by Ambrose Bierce, as it can deepen your understanding of the text.
Descriptive language
What immediately strikes about the text is the descriptive language employed in depicting the arrangements made for the execution, Farquhar’s thoughts and his near-death hallucination. Initially, descriptive language is employed when the author depicts the position of the military men supervising the execution:
“A sentinel at each end of the bridge stood with his rifle in the position known as "support," that is to say, vertical in front of the left shoulder, the hammer resting on the forearm thrown straight across the chest—a formal and unnatural position, enforcing an erect carriage of the body.”
Descriptive language is also employed when Farquhar’s state is depicted:
“The man's hands were behind his back, the wrists bound with a cord. A rope closely encircled his neck. It was attached to a stout cross-timber above his head and the slack fell to the level of his knees. Some loose boards laid upon the ties supporting the rails of the railway supplied a footing for him and his executioners…”
As you are about to see, Ambrose Bierce has employed several language devices to embellish his story and to place the focus on the descriptive language.
