XXXX
ENC1102-134
Professor Miller
4/18/11
Examining Deaths Purpose:
Comment [G1]: Apostrophe needed here.
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek” and “Happy Endings”
“His neck was in pain and lifting his hand he found it horribly swollen….His eyes felt
congested; he could no longer close them…His tongue was swollen with thirst; he relieved his
fever by thrusting it between his teeth…He could no longer feel the roadway beneath his feet! As
the reader examines these last crucial thoughts of the main character of “An Occurrence at Owl
Creek”, there is a foreshadowing of his terrible fate. These sensations Farquhar experiences are a
revelation that he hasn’t escaped, but instead he is in fact hanging under the timbers of Owl
Comment [LBPODIW72]: If this is the end of
the quotation from Bierce’s story, you need two
things: end quotes and a citation.
Comment [LBPODIW73]: We don’t know who
the “his” is here. You should have perhaps
introduced Farquhar here.
Creek Bridge. This is the ending to a very unique piece of literature written by Ambrose Bierce,
explaining the concept that Farquhar was dead long before he realized it. Another somewhat dark
tale in which the main characters were already dead by the end of the first page is “Happy
Endings” written by Margaret Atwood. Her characters John and Mary are part of many
extremely short and depressing stories that all conclude with the same ending of John and Mary
die. Both authors prove a point with the very distinctive death of their characters. Ambrose
Bierce’s story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, was focusing more upon inevitable
consequences that come from desperate actions of one’s lives. Bierce also used Farquhar to
represent his own views on the deathly destructive American Civil War. Margaret Atwood on the
other hand was trying to prove a point about society, and about the lack of ingenuity in literature,
with her story “Happy Endings”. Both of the authors manipulate not only death, but the
Comment [LBPODIW74]: This phrase needs to
be set off by commas.
significance of a stories theme and interpretation to prove a point.
The deaths of characters in both stories are endings. Each ending has a unique purpose
and significance. Atwood says other authors offer “other endings”; however they are all ‘fake’.”
Even thought the endings in Atwood’s story are all the same, some of the things that caused the
fatalities of John and Mary are significant. In the second and third story of “Happy Endings” the
characters commit either suicide or murder. These are very extreme circumstances, but not
Comment [LBPODIW75]: Should be “story’s”
Comment [LBPODIW76]: If this is your thesis
here, you need to have what that particular point is.
Comment [LBPODIW77]: I lose track of your
quotation marks here. You start a quote with
“other” and then end it with “endings.” Then, you
have single quotes around “fake,” but I am not sure
why. After the period, you have another set of end
quotes where I am not sure where it starts.
Comment [LBPODIW78]: Wrong word: You
mean “though”
Comment [LBPODIW79]: Comma needed
here.
completely out of the scope of some novels. Atwood is using these endings to portray different
types of novels that have been made into a type of cookie cutter story that almost any author
could write. These stories lack the “how and why” that define greatness in Atwood’s eyes.
Comment [LBPODIW710]: Any specific
examples?
Furthermore, Atwood uses this ‘fake’ representation of fictional endings to show how
people in society try to avoid their own inevitable deaths. Diana Henningfeld contends that “they
fill their lives with details, often extraneous details, in just the same way that a fiction writer
shapes character, plot, and setting” (Critical Essay on Happy Endings). Henningfeld is
connecting Atwood’s criticism of fiction to her criticism of society. Atwood is showing that
people fill their lives with details and activities, but don’t have a real purpose behind them. Also,
in Atwood’s story we see a glimpse of how some of the pointless things people do in their lives
harm themselves and those around them. In the end, no matter how hard the characters in
Comment [G11]: The reader of your essay
needs an illustration or two of this.
Atwood’s story try, they like some people in real life will still end up dying without a legacy of
purpose. Because of the lack of purpose in the characters actions, the reader doesn’t gain what
would be a moral lesson from the stories. Those who take the time to observe what Atwood is
truly trying to portray will see that she encourages people to have purpose in their lives and leave
a legacy behind; a legacy that is formed by what they believed in.
In a similar way to how Atwood uses the way her characters die, Bierce uses the tool of
Comment [G12]: Apostrophe needed here.
death, to express a deeper meaning. Conlouge William tells of how the author connects Farquhar
as a “student of hanging” and that there are multiple references to hemp, which is the plant that
made up the noose that killed Farquhar (Bierce’s’). This reference to hemp is significant because
Farquhar grows it for a living. Hemp is a mood-altering plant that would have been the logical
Comment [G13]: Interesting metaphor. Are you
saying that death in the Bierce story is a symbol of
something else?
Comment [G14]: You need quotation marks
here to indicate the article’s title and an elilipsis (. ..)
to indicate that there is more to the title.
explanation behind Farquhar’s fascinating experience. As he is about to fall off the bridge
Farquhar must have started to experience a dream like state. This hemp was not only the
physical tool used to kill Farquhar, but was an instrument used by Bierce as a catalyst of
emotional suffering before Farquhar died. After Farquhar resurfaces from his jump into the
creek, Bierce tells us that “Something in the awful disturbance of his organic system had so
exalted and refined them that they made record of things never before perceived” (489). These
heighten senses must have made all of the fear and pain that he experienced dreadfully more
extreme. Ironically, Farquhar imposed immense suffering to the slaves who worked on his
plantation to produce that same hemp. The author is showing that because of what Farquhar did
in his life he is uniquely punished in his death.
In both stories the main characters weren’t dynamic and were portrayed as almost
completely flat, that is to say, they had very little detail. In “An Occurrence at Owl Creek
Bridge” the definition of Farquhar is, “he was a slave owner…a politician” (487). These things
don’t really define his outer appearance, but instead they show what he supports. This explains
his support of slavery. The author tells that he was “ardently devoted to the Southern cause”
(487). From this passage it is evident Farquhar is extremely proud and supportive of the South.
Interestingly, the author fought for the opposite side in the Civil War. Maliciously, it seems the
author had no intention of letting Farquhar live, instead he proposed to give the character hope
allowing Farquhar’s death to have more impact on the reader. The detail and prolonging of
Comment [G15]: Not sure this is the correct
word choice.
Farquhar’s death is more important to the author’s theme than his character and outward
appearance. Similarly, both John and Mary have very little descriptive qualities in the first
scenario in which their lives end happily. In each scenario they are given slightly more
Comment [G16]: This is a very interesting
hypothesis. I wish you had more time developing
this idea.
developed character traits and behaviors, but never any physical description other than their age.
Atwood justifies her lack of detail in the last lines of her story by encouraging others to “Try a
How and a Why” (485). She is explaining that there are too many stories written that give
elaborate descriptions, with no deep plot or meaningful lesson. Atwood intentionally skips out on
the description of the characters to emphasize the preeminence of her plot. Both authors are
describing the characters intentions and leaving out details to help strengthen the impact their
Comment [G17]: Is her plot that she is
highlighting or the meaning of her storyline as it
connects to a much broader understanding?
Comment [G18]: Apostrophe needed here.
deaths which support their theme.
Atwood was establishing her point by showing that no matter how the lives of the
characters played out they would both still die, also Atwood makes statements that allure to her
view of society. In almost all of the stories, Atwood uses the phase “stimulating and challenging”
Comment [G19]: These are contradictory.
(“Happy Endings” 483). This statement is ironic because there is almost nothing interesting
Comment [G20]: Same construction here. I
know what you mean, but it does weaken your
statement as it is really a “safe” contention to hold.
about the story other than the reader’s interest in why the author wrote it. The entire story is a
sort of mockery to literature that lacks interesting motivation and theme. This use of phrase to
hint at an opinion of the author is also seen in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek” when the wife of
Farquhar is talking about how she served a visiting Confederate soldier. She says she did it with
“her own white hands” (487). This statement shows her racist mentality. She is thinking that
what she did was worth more for their cause because it wasn’t done by a slave. Also she doesn’t
seem to do much work herself. Ironically, she and her husband are being tricked by a scout from
the North. Bierce portrays those who support the South as easily confused. The attitude of
Farquhar’s wife is used by the author to protest against the lifestyle of the plantation owners.
Comment [G21]: Is this important enough to
mention? If so, connect it to the point you’re
making.
This is supported more fully in the end of the story when Farquhar is deceived again before
being killed.
In “An Occurrence at Owl Creek”, Bierce depicts the scene of Farquhar’s execution with
extreme detail, giving information regarding each bystander’s reaction to the last moments of
Farquhar’s life. In contrast it seems that there are many things that don’t make logical sense in
Farquhar’s dream-like before death experience. After Farquhar falls, Bierce tells us that Farquhar
was not conscious of the effort, but a pain in his wrists told him that he was trying to free himself
(488). In this dream state Farquhar was simply giving logical explanations to what was
happening. His miraculous breaking of his bonds wouldn’t make much sense to anyone who
wasn’t experience his delirious pre-death dream. Bierce is using this lack of detail to foreshadow
that something wasn’t right with Farquhar. By showing that there wasn’t something quite right
with Farquhar, Bierce is paralleling Farquhar with his theme that the Civil War, and the
oppression by the south was a delirious and self-centered act. In the same way Bierce uses a
fictional experience to prove a very important point, Atwood’s later stories become slightly
outrageous. Story F of “Happy Endings” starts with “…Make John a revolutionary and Mary a
counterespionage agent, and see how far that gets you” (484). This is an exotic turn from the
previous stories whose only interesting parts involved scandal and suicide. In a very cocky way,
Atwood is telling the reader that the plot might make an interesting story, but it would still end
up with both characters being dead. Her point in this is that writers that don’t care about why
something is happening or what thematic effect it will have on the reader will never be defined.
That is to say they won’t have their own literary style.
The deaths of the characters in both stories had literary significance because they enticed
the reader to find the meaning behind their abnormality. In an essay on “Happy Endings” Rene
Comment [G22]: Needs to be capitalized.
Korb explains that, “Atwood is criticizing writers who have predictable plots” (Critical).
Comment [G23]: See comment 4.
Contrary to this, Atwood makes the reader want to finish “Happy Endings” because of the
unique way it is written. The authors hook is that the reader wants to know what Atwood is
trying to do with the story, and there is very little interest in the plot and characters themselves.
While chiding lazy authors to add more of a meaningful theme to their work, Atwood is, at the
same time, giving other writers an example of how to use a “why” to entice readers. In “An
Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” Bierce also manipulates the death of his main character to
make readers question why Bierce chose such a bizarre telling of Farquhar’s last moments.
Bierce wanted readers to look deeper into the story so they could understand the underlying
themes he conveyed.
In “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” there is some verbal irony that the author uses
to show he is prolonging Farquhar’s death, but it is only to make his point more valid. When
Farquhar is resurfacing after falling from the bridge the author says that he didn’t want to come
back up because he was so comfortable. Then Farquhar thinks to himself “To Be Hanged and
drowned is not so bad…but I do Not want to be shot, that is not fair” (488). In this statement we
see that the author is intentionally making Farquhar die horrid deaths over and over again. He is
attacking Farquhar to express his distaste for the causes which Farquhar represented. The
multiple deaths of Farquhar might seem terrible, but this unnecessary trauma relates to the
authors opinion of the Civil War, which also caused multiple unnecessary deaths. When talking
about the theme of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” Lawrence Berkove contends that
Bierce wants readers to understand that “failure to use reason, or the misuse of it, will hasten
death or bring it on needlessly.” (Nothing). Berkove is echoing the idea that Bierce thought of
the society which caused the Civil War insensitive and intolerable.
Comment [G24]: Comma usage needs work
throughout the essay. Here is one example of where
there needs to be one.
The concluding, and even deeper mystery, behind both stories is a question of why. What
could bring both Bierce and Atwood to the idea that Death would be the best way to convey an
ideal about life? In both stories there is traumatic death, and this death is inspired by the trauma
of two other deaths that were happening. For Bierce it was the disheartening deaths of the Civil
War, and the necessary death of the cruel social mentality that was held by slave owners and the
south. Similarly, Atwood was inspired by the decline of literature, to the point that it was
becoming a dying art form. Atwood also portrays the death of those in our societies, who were
desperately looking for a happy life, and couldn’t find it. This is because they were avoiding a
reality, which makes no sense without a purpose. Both Atwood and Bierce use the subject of
death, which is very grave and causes immense suffering, to warn readers of where themes
importance. Death is an excellent example because of the suffering and gravity associated with
it. The deaths in both “Happy Endings”, and “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” held
incredible and influential meanings behind them.
Comment [G25]: Can’t understand this.
Works Cited
Comment [G26]: Spacing is “off” throughout the
essay, Joe: Too many spaces between paragraphs
and citations.
Ames, Clifford R. "Do I Wake or Sleep?: Technique as Content in Ambrose Bierce's Short Story,
'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge'." Short Story Criticism. Ed. Joseph Palmisano. Vol.
72. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 8 Apr. 2011.
Atwood, Margaret. “Happy Endings.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and
Writing. 11th ed. New York: Pearson-Longman, 2010. 485-491. Print.
Berkove, Lawrence I. "'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge': Nothing Better Exists." A
Prescription for Adversity: The Moral Art of Ambrose Bierce. Short Story Criticism. Ed.
Joseph Palmisano. Vol. 72. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 12
Apr. 2011.
Bierce, Ambrose. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction,
Poetry, Drama and Writing. 11th ed. New York: Pearson-Longman, 2010. 485-491. Print.
Conlogue, William. "Bierce's 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge'." Short Story Criticism. Ed.
Joseph Palmisano. Vol. 72. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 8
Apr. 2011.
Fabó, Kingo. "Ambrose Bierce: 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge'." Short Story Criticism.
Ed. Joseph Palmisano. Vol. 72. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resources from Gale.
Web. 8 Apr. 2011.
Henningfeld, Diane Andrews. "Critical Essay on 'Happy Endings'." Short Stories for Students.
Ed. Jennifer Smith. Vol. 13. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. Literature Resources from Gale.
Comment [G27]: If you check the Little, Brown
Handbook, you’ll note that this type of citation also
needs the editors of this anthology. This is also true
for the Bierce citation.
Web. 8 Apr. 2011.
Korb, Rena. "Critical Essay on 'Happy Endings'." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Jennifer Smith.
Vol. 13. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 8 Apr. 2011.
xxxx, Before I begin let me say that I have been consistently impressed with the level of your participation in
class discussions throughout the semester. There was never a time that I thought you might be illprepared or not engaged in class discussion. Now for this essay: The topic was strong, the thesis not bad,
but the development needed further work, I am afraid. I say this because there were several times where
I felt you were reporting on the secondary analyses rather than using them to support YOUR unique
view of the stories. You have very strong analytical skills as demonstrated in class and those skills really
were not showcased in this essay, unfortunately. With the number of secondary sources listed and used
throughout the essay, it would have been difficult for you to come up with much of anything new and
fresh. It would have been difficult for anyone to have done so. I saw where you made strong attempts at
explication/interpretation with many attempts to bring in the primary sources for illustration, but there
are just as many places that appeared to drop off with no support or connection to your major point. One
technical flaw that I was amazed to note is that you somehow forgot—why wasn’t it picked up in PEER
EDITING?—is that there are no headers, an MLA requirement, throughout the essay.
Please know that I have considered it a pleasure to have you in class both semesters.
C/O=15
D=16
FINAL EXAM=82B
S/S=15
G/M=14
R/D=13 TOTAL=73C