Maseng 1

Sean Maseng

Mr. Miles

Pre-AP English 10

January 23, 2018

A Moment in Time

The element of suspense is key to any successful short story and it helps relay the authors

purpose. In the short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce, he conveys his

message through the use of the syntax, imagery, and foreshadowing within the story.

Bierce’s syntax for the first couple sentences is long a drawn out. The main character, Peyton

Farquhar, sees that everything around him starts to slow down, as his death draws near. The author

mirrors this within his writing in the first few paragraphs when he writes sentences like, “Death is a

dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal subordinates but making no

sign” (Bierce para 2). The combination of these long, drawn out sentences give the appearance of the

slowing of time. Bierce’s use of imagery also shows how the characters mind set changes, once the

rope breaks. After he escapes the clutches of death, his own senses seem to be more heightened than

before, which is shown with the descriptive imagery by Bierce when “He noted the primary colors in

all the dewdrops upon a million blades of grass…” (Bierce para 12). When Farquhar beings to notice

little things in his scenery, like the dew drops on the leaves, it transports him into a surreal world. Lastly

Bierce adds to the suspense of the story when he introduces foreshadowing clues that Farquhar had

passed way, “His neck…had a circle of black where the rope had bruised it. His eyes felt congested…

His tongue was swollen…” (Bierce para. 20). As the clues start to build up, one can only assume that

Farquhar is dead, which explains his change in appearance.

Suspense is a crucial part of every story, and Bierce was able to use it to convey his message of

how time is running out, through the use of his syntax to the foreshadowing of Farquhar’s death.