An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

Yeah, I agree with the way he used the trees to make Peyton seem faster. It also adds to the urgency of the scene, and underscores the fact that this man is truly running for his life. The drums and the explosions also add a lot to this, making it even more dramatic. It’s a very heart-pounding scene.

This is a funny scene. But that’s what helps get the point across. Peyton is just so elated that he is alive that it almost drives him completely crazy. I agree, we definitely know what Peyton is feeling at the moment.

This is also a brilliant scene, because this is where it shows Peyton appreciating nature and everything that surrounds him. I thought it would be difficult to portray that in the film, but he did a great job of getting the point across that Peyton truly appreciates his mortality now.

Wrong paragraph. I’ll move it.

This is also a brilliant scene, because this is where it shows Peyton appreciating nature and everything that surrounds him. I thought it would be difficult to portray that in the film, but he did a great job of getting the point across that Peyton truly appreciates his mortality now.

The underwater scene is brilliant. It shows a momentous struggle for Peyton to free himself before he gets shot, and the fact that it’s all underwater just adds more suspense to it. We know that, yes, he could get shot, but he could also drown. That just adds a new layer to the scene.

I like the slow-mo scene in which it shows his wife. The fact that it is slow-mo changes the entire meaning of the scene. It makes it seem like he is cherishing these memories more than it would if it were played at regular speed.

I think it’s a pretty cool shot when it shows the man making the noose and it looks upward at his face through the noose. It’s also ironic that they’re making the noose right in front of Peyton, who is a master of hanging. I just think the way he uses the noose in all of these shots is so ominous because of the stigma attached to the noose.

I like the opening scene here. It starts with the poster and then pans out to show the bridge and the guards. It sets the solemn mood of the story and introduces the reader to the setting. The poster also gives the watcher a general idea of what is going on here: that this man has committed a crime and is being hanged for it. The scene really does a great job of getting the movie watcher the information he or she needs for the rest of the story.

This is where I think the reader may realize that Peyton is daydreaming. Are the soldiers really going to spend this much time on a fairly insignificant person to their war effort? Sure, he tried to burn a bridge, but he did not succeed and he hasn’t done anything else to hurt the soldiers in any significant way. I just think Peyton is grossly overestimating his own importance, which is exactly what I would expect from a Southern plantation and slave owner.

I like the detached feeling of this paragraph and the lack of emotion. Is it really significant that this one man has died? By the sound of this paragraph, not really.

I love this paragraph. It sets up everything as beautiful and ideal and perfect for Peyton’s return, then boom–darkness. I think that the reader, and not just Peyton, feels a jolt at the end of this paragraph.

That was the first thing I noticed. The imagination that he has in order to be able to visualize such a vivid picture. Maybe there is a rush of sudden sensual overload before death or something. That sounds completely crazy, though.

My favorite part of this paragraph is the imagery of the noose being a snake in the water. A snake in water is quick, agile, and deadly. The imagery here is perfect for the context of the story and what the rope is being used for and what it represents. I could also stretch this and draw a contemporary parallel to the Jena incident a few months ago. A snake does not kill instantly, but instead over time with deadly venom, and the stigma attached to the noose is a venom that is poisoning our society and culture to this day, years after lynching died out.

I like the last sentence of this paragraph, “No; I will not be shot; that is not fair.” I think there is a certain amount of irony in this, because is it really fair for Peyton and his fellow plantation owners to enslave others against their will? Is it really fair to use corporal punishment against those slaves because they are performing badly (the cause of which is their horrible conditions and morale)? I think Peyton has a skewed perception of reality if he does not think this is fair.

I think this paragraph, with the ceremonious bow and the generous lady contrasts well with the scene in which Peyton is in the noose. I also think the water may have some significance here. The water is somewhat of a savior for this tired, thirsty soldier, and later in the story the water in the creek is a savior for Peyton (or so he thinks).

I definitely agree that there is a great deal of irony in Peyton calling himself a “student of hanging.” I guess Peyton is finally going to get exactly what his kind has been dealing out in the Antebellum South.

Peyton’s interest is piqued here as he hears the gray clad soldier tell of the situation at Owl Creek Bridge. Peyton begins to fantasize about how he could gain glory and fame for taking out an important structure that has value for the “Yanks.”

I think it begins to get a bit questionable here. This just seems too obvious that the gray clad soldier is setting Peyton up to be captured and hanged. But it is also obvious that Peyton wants to help in the war effort since he is not able to be a soldier for the reasons alluded to earlier in the story.

Peyton is now having a flashback, reminiscing about “the good old days.” I also think color is very important here. Color is a very important theme throughout all literature dealing with the Civil War, especially color of skin, and I think that is reflected here since he mentions the wife’s “whit hands.”

I think it’s also important to point out the misspelling of “too” in this paragraph. That bothers me quite a bit.

This paragraph begins to idealize Peyton’s devotion to the cause he believes in, though it is one almost all contemporary readers will disagree with. This portrays him as a man of conviction and, though his cause is questionable, the reader is still able to identify with him.

Here, Peyton begins to actually formulate a plan for escape in specifics, not just vague fantasies about it. This causes the reader to think that escape may be possible since this would not be discussed unless it were a real possibility.

The purpose of this paragraph is to build tension. It serves to describe to the reader the feeling of suspense Peyton must be feeling as his death ticks nearer and nearer. The auditory imagery serve to reinforce this feeling, because the reader can assume the sound is a drum, and knows that the sound of a drum is sharp and harsh. This embodies what Peyton must be feeling right now.

The last sentence of this paragraph, “What a sluggish stream!” gives the reader a sense that Peyton is formulating an escape plan, observing every detail around him, evaluating his situation and the likelihood of his survival. This foreshadows what will happen later in the story, hinting that his escape fantasy may be possible.

This paragraph begins to personalize the story, enabling the reader to connect to the main character and to identify a protagonist. A certain amount of sympathy is felt for Peyton because of the description of his soft features and “kindly expression.” It leaves the reader to wonder why these heartless soldiers would murder a seemingly innocent man.

He really makes this seem very rigid and planned. I think this really adds to the mercilessness displayed by the soldiers. I think it’s important to note, though, that this isn’t necessarily characteristic of these soldiers, but probably of all soldiers in wartime. This just makes the faceless, nameless soldiers seem more cold hearted with respect to Peyton.

I think it’s important to note that the author does not yet name Peyton in this paragraph. He keeps it impersonal, setting the context of the story, leaving the reader unsure of who to support: the soldiers who are executing a merciless murderer or the man who is unfairly being hanged for crimes he did not commit.