Research Paper on:
'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge' by Ambrose Bierce

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
Stephen Crane" (24). The literary talent that Lindley refers to is quite evident in Bierces chilling short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," which is undoubtedly one of best  examples in literature of an author stopping time to analyze one crucial moment. The effect that Bierce achieves in his short story arises largely out of his fine manipulation of  point of view. When the reader finds out at the end of the narrative that the protagonist is dead, it comes of something of a shock. However, by looking  at how Bierce handles point of view throughout the story, it can be seen that Bierce foreshadows this conclusion, and that the conclusion grows organically from Bierces utilization of perspective.  First of all, Bierce sets the scene for his narrative by minutely describing the scene as a man, a civilian of about thirty five years of age, awaits execution  by hanging from a railroad bridge, while Union soldiers on the bank watch the proceedings from their ranks, which are at parade rest. The scene is rather surreal as all  of those present watch silently as the ritual of death unfolds. The narrative voice relates that "Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with  formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him" (An Occurrence...). The third person point of view is descriptive, but no omniscient. The narrative voice does  not tell the reader what the men carrying out this ritual think of the man about to be hanged, or the circumstances surrounding this event. The perspective is rather like  a camera panning over the scene. It relates visual details, but, at least in the opening paragraphs, nothing about what the men in the scene think or feel. In