Naturalism Occurs at Owl Creek Bridge. commonly misinterpreted. It s been classified mostly as realism about war and even as

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1 Naturalism Occurs at Owl Creek Bridge An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, by Ambrose Bierce, is a short story that has been commonly misinterpreted. It s been classified mostly as realism about war and even as psychological realism; however, this is a story about naturalism. It s obvious why it s been classified under realism concerning war because it s about the civil war and psychological realism because half of the story takes place in the subconscious part of Farquhar s brain but the elements of naturalism override these assumptions. Three specific naturalist elements are present that make this piece a naturalist piece: the narrator has a completely passive and objective voice, the story points out that nature doesn t care to distinguish between one animal and another (including humans), and finally that if man tries to conquer nature he will fail. The first element, an objective narrator, is present mostly in the beginning of the story. Actually, the first two words in the first sentence give away the passive narrator. A man stood upon a railroad bridge (171). The first character mentioned, and the main character of the story, is simply a man. He isn t even named until the ninth paragraph. Even after the narrator decides to name him, he is still referred to as the hunted man (177). One of the most passive statements made by the narrator, the man who was engaged in being hanged was apparently about thirty-five years of age, continues this pattern of objective narration (172). Even when the story is taking place inside Farquhar s brain the narrator doesn t bother with much emotion; this journey inside Farquhar s brain is still passive. The final sentence, Peyton Farquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge, is probably the sentence which is the most devoid of emotion (178). The narrator doesn t care if Farquhar lived or died. One defining characteristic of naturalism is the passive narrator which most definitely present in this short story.

2 Clawson 2 The second element of naturalism found in this piece of literature is that nature doesn t care to distinguish between one animal and another, which makes humans just as important as a rat. The most prevalent show of this relationship happens after Farquhar falls in the river. He thinks to himself, to die of hanging at the bottom of a river! (175). Here, the author takes a human form of corporal punishment and turns it into a natural one: drowning. When Farquhar is at the bottom of the river but begins to rise, he knew it with reluctance, for he was now very comfortable (175). Also, when he had made it to the shore, he had no wish to perfect his escape was content to remain in that enchanting spot until retaken (177). At these points, Farquhar would rather stay with the natural way of things. He wants to stay and be a part of nature and would be happy with whatever the outcome would be. Later, when he finally gets loose from his bands and he finds himself on the shore away from danger, he dug his fingers into the sand, threw it over himself in handfuls and audibly blessed it (177). Then he describes the sand as diamonds, rubies, emeralds; he could think of nothing beautiful which it did not resemble (177). Here, the narrator is making the human appreciate nature as something equal, or even better, than him. Now there is no distinct line between the human experience and nature. Bierce has shown that man has no more importance to nature then a fish does. If a crab can roll around and love the sand, so can Peyton Farquhar. It s also important to note that there are three paragraphs in this story completely dedicated to Farquhar s perception of nature and its details. The first is found on page 175 after Farquhar rises from the bottom of the river and is free of his restricting bands. Bierce describes what Farquhar is seeing and feeling through a natural perspective. He doesn t see or hear the railroad bridge, the soldiers, or the guns. He only is conscious of nature. In the second paragraph dedicated to a description of nature, found on page 177, is right after Farquhar made it to shore.

3 Clawson 3 Instead of rejoicing in his escape, he is observing nature. Once again, he is only conscious of nature, as if he was a part of it. Finally, the third paragraph, found on page 178, is describing his trip back home. Farquhar was thinking about home and his family, when he suddenly begins to be a part of nature again. The wood on either side was full of singular noises, among which once, twice, and again he distinctly heard whispers in an unknown tongue (178). Farquhar had become such a part of nature that he was beginning to hear its voice. These three, rather long, paragraphs cannot be ignored in such a short story. Bierce wouldn t have dedicated such space to something unless it was important and added to the meaning of the story. The last but most prevalent show of naturalism in this story is that if man tries to conquer nature he will fail, coupled with the belief that nature conquers all. First of all, Bierce makes Farquhar a planter. It was Farquhar s job to manipulate nature in a way that benefits him; however, in the end, it s his position as a planter that allows him to hear about this opportunity for setting back the Union soldiers, which eventually results in his death. Bierce also shows that man cannot conquer nature by making Farquhar s illusion of escape largely helped by nature. In his mind, Farquhar can conquer nature, so in his subconscious he makes nature his companion and means of getting back to safety. Farquhar manipulates nature in his mind to do what would be most beneficial for him. After he falls in the river and emerges, he finds that he was perceptibly father down stream nearer to safety (177). He has made nature make it possible for him to escape. The river has begun to carry him to safety. Later, he was flung upon the gravel at the foot of the left bank of the stream the southern bank and behind the projecting point which concealed him from his enemies (177). This is another show of Farquhar manipulating nature for his benefit. The stream just happens to spit him out on its own, out of range of the soldier s guns, and conveniently on the southern side. Since all of this is occurring

4 Clawson 4 in Farquhar s mind, it s apparent that he thinks he can control nature but in the end, nature controls him. This final point, that nature controls him, is found a little obscurely in the story. Farquhar dies because a Federal soldier tips him off about a way to supposedly thwart the Union army. He says that he observed that the flood of last winter had lodged a great quantity of driftwood against the wooden pier at this end of the bridge. It is now dry and would burn like tow (174). The way this soldier suggests Farquhar deter the Union army is by manipulating nature, by destroying it. Here is where the obscurity comes into play. Bierce uses the soldiers to represent nature. In the beginning of the story, the narrator describes the scenery around the bridge as a gently acclivity of vertical tree trunks, loopholed for rifles, with a single embrasure through which protruded the muzzle of a brass cannon commanding the bridge (171-2). The picture Bierce paints here is one where the soldiers and their weapons are intertwined with nature. They are almost a part of it. When describing the soldiers, the narrator says that not a man moved. The company faced the bridge, staring stonily, motionless (172). The soldiers are like huge, unmovable, unconquerable stones guarding their capture. Lastly, Farquhar says that the water, touched to gold by the early sun, the brooding mists under the banks at some distance down the stream, the fort, the soldiers, the piece of drift all had distracted him (172-3). Bierce couples nature and soldiers together, making them one thing with one purpose. The soldiers represent nature, conquering the fate of Peyton Farquhar. They tempt him with something he cannot resist: the opportunity to manipulate nature, the opportunity to thwart its progression. In the end, despite his efforts at controlling his fate and the nature around him, he dies, which is what was intended all along.

5 Clawson 5 Although An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge can be read as realism during war times or as psychological realism, the most prevalent themes point to naturalism. The narrator is passive and doesn t care about the fate of Peyton Farquhar. Bierce makes Farquhar part of nature, making a timid fish swim as close as beneath his eyes (176). Finally, Bierce makes nature the conqueror in the end. Farquhar cannot control what his fate is, no matter how hard he tries, and that is the key element in a naturalist piece of literature.