An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Group

Question:

jamal
jamal
Student
High School - 11th Grade

What is the theme in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge?

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Posted by jamal on Monday September 10, 2007 at 2:33 PM and tagged with an occurrence at owl creek bridge, theme.

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  1. cmcqueeney Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    I would say the main theme is appearance vs. reality.  In this story the theme develops in Farquhar's dream of escape that takes up the bulk of the story.  The details of the story make it seem like it is really happening, but in the end you discover that it is merely a dream that passed through the man's mind in a matter of seconds.  It causes the reader to wonder if the protagonist recognized it was only a dream.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/occurrence-owl/summary

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    Posted by cmcqueeney on Tuesday October 30, 2007 at 12:44 PM


  2. jeff-hauge Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The strongest theme in the story is the power of interpretation. Human beings can receive infinite amounts of input, but if anything directly effects ourselves, we twist and contort this information to reach the conclusions we desire. It woudl seem it is impossible for us to be objective in matters concerning ourself.

    The mind sees what it wants to. Of all the sensory input he contorts throughout the story it first starts with the scout. He believed that he was encountering a chance to prove his worth and dedication to the cause. Instead he is duped by a spy seeking to expose partisans.

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    Posted by jeff-hauge on Friday January 11, 2008 at 10:03 AM