"An Occurance At Owl Creek Bridge"

Melissa Veum

Engl 48B

01/06/2011

Journal #1- Ambrose Bierce

"Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be recieved with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him (Bierce, 361)".

"First finding his voice in newspapers, Bierce became a prolific author of short stories often humorous and sometimes bitter or macabrae. He spoke out against oppression and supported civil and religious freedoms (The Literature Network-Ambrose Bierce)".

This quote portrays death as a type of distinguished all-knowing superior being. Death, when he comes around should be announced with respect, as if death is being referred to as a loyal king is to his countrymen. Death should be a public affair and it should be respected altogether. This quote reasons with the theory that death should be announced as if it is something to look forward to and as long as it's done with respect, this announcement should also be publicised and in a formal setting. Death should also be treated this way by those most familiar with it; as if as well as one might think they know death and feel "comfortable" with the idea of death, you too should feel the same respect and almightyness towards death coming round.

Death being percieved as all-knowing and superior is not too far off from what some may come to theorize about the entire process. I think that when death does take it's toll it is not to be taken lightly and in this story especially it is not far from anyone's mind. The way that Bierce painted the scene in the beginning of this story took death and made it into something that was almost being "announced" and with a great deal of respect also. The scene was portrayed very tough with the soldiers and with everyone around just sort of waiting for death to arrive, including Peyton. Peyton seemed to take his untimely death lightly throughout the different scenes in this story. He slipped into his unconscious and dreamed about getting away, what he would have to do to survive this ordeal, he became seperated from his own reality and in turn broke his neck and had his life torn from his fingertips. The quote states that when death is coming round, he needs to be treated with respect, even from those who are familiar with him, and I don't think that Peyton did this. Peyton was a fool and the reader does sort of feel badly for him, but death was coming for him wheather he was ready or not and ultimately he was not ready and slipping into a dream-like state did nothing for the fact that death had already arrived and as familiar Peyton was with death at this moment, his reality couldn't have been further away.