With reference to An Arrest and An occurance at Owl Creek bridge

With reference to An Arrest and An occurance at Owl Creek bridge

Explore Ambrose Beirce's treatment of the theme of justice.

Leann Parker With reference to 'An Arrest' and 'An occurance at Owl

Creek bridge' Explore

Ambrose Beirce's treatment of the theme of justice.

Ambrose Beirce lived between the years of 1842 - 1914 ,though his date

of death can not be for certain. He lived during the period of the

civil war and was the author of supernatural stories. He wrote those

stories because he was interested in the war and crime and this led

too his two books; 'Tales of soldiers and civilians' and 'Can such

things be?'.

Justice also played a huge part in Beirce's opinion. He believed that

justice had changed during the Civil war and that what was happening

was somewhat unfair. He expressed this in a way to make us feel

sympathetic. In each state their were different laws ,something you

could do in Kentucky you might not have got away with in New York City

,justice was givenfor many different reasons. Law during the Civil

warwas very different and the sheriffs (not police) found keeping Law

and order very difficult.

The two main stories he wrote about were 'An Arrest' and 'An occurance

at Owl Creek bridge'. Beirce wrote his stories on the theme of justice

and he done this because he wanted to explore the mind and feel hope

and peace.

The first story 'An Arrest' is about a man Orrin Brower , a fugitive

on the run. He was sent to prison for murdering his brother-in-law and

has longed for freedom ever since. He eventually manages to escape and

runs into the forest but gets lost. He finally makes his way onto a

road but on the other side spots a figure of justice who takes him

back to the jail but on...

... middle of paper ...

...help out, farquhar thinking he

was on his side, he is then hung for doing something bad but his last

3 seconds turn into a lifetime before he is actually hung.

Ambrose Beirce chose an innocent man called Peyton Farquhar as his

main character because he wanted us to feel sorry for him and angry

with the officers for causing the pain inflicted. Farquhar took the

role in the war because he had always wanted to be part of it.He was

not allowed to fight for his own country so when the enemy tricked

him, he was no wiser and was trying to help his side and so he did

what the enemy wanted.

' I 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 a tow'.

In the last moments of his life we learn so much about his

personality, feelings and thoughts.