I was reading recently the classic Ambrose Bierce short-story, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. In the story, a captured Confederate spy survives his own hanging when the noose, apparently, breaks. As the tale unfolds, we follow his escape through forest and swamp, until he eventually finds his way back home. But as he runs into his wife's waiting arms, everything flashes white before him, and we learn that our hero was hanged after all, his entire journey home being an hallucination that occurred in the split second between his dropping through the gallows and his neck snapping.
Reading this, I recalled Coleridge's well-known observation that creative fiction requires a "willing suspension of disbelief." Bierce's story certainly requires that, but it requires something more, it strikes me. I wonder if the same thought strikes you. That is to say, more than a willing suspension of disbelief, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge requires a "------- --------- in ----------".
(You are welcome to leave your answer in the comments. The person supplying the best answer will receive my personal congratulations.)
~~ Robert Brault
17 comments:
Hi Robert - Hmmm...this certainly is different. You're asking us to actually use our brain a little more than just reading. May I leave more than one response in the same comment?
a "confident belief in afterlife".
a "person believing in happy-endings".
Not very good answers....I'll try again later...
What fun! Thanks Robert ... how about, a "willing belief in redemption."
Becky, patricia,
Ah, I might have guessed that my earnest readers would try to assign some heavy meaning to this. Actually, what I have in mind is just a little rearrangement of words.
smiles,
rb
willing disbelief in suspension ;)
But what Bierce seems to be about in this story is that time is relative -- that the claim a man's death is instantaneous and therefore "humane" may be very far from the truth of the experience.
I think I'm stumped, Robert!
How about a firm belief in quick thinking?
...a willing belief in time-suspension?
;)
How about: That is to say, more than a willing suspension of disbelief, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge requires a "fulfilling extension in his beliefs".
Tori,
By George, you've got it -- my personal congratulations to you.
All,
My apologies for leading you to believe that there was something fraught with meaning here. A little play on words is all I had in mind, the "suspension" referring to the hanging. But Bierce's story does indeed lend itself to deeper interpretation, and I congratulate all on some thought-provoking responses.
smiles,
rb
Too late to comment! You did lead me on to believe that I'd have to wrack my brains ...fun post!
I think you just added something new to my summer reading list.
.... it struck me in 100000 volts.. it's first time i heard someone talk to me about 'An occurence at Owl creek bridge' since long long.. probably 25 or 30 yrs back i first watched this movie in an enclosure- a film society , where the 8mm/16mm screen & hand peddled small projector with its primitive sounds...in between the film cuts and the operator fix it and runs again... we never forget all these and the movie we watched in utter silence.. the movie itself is silent.. as it starts with the misty early morning .....barely seen anybody on the screen .. then slowly appear in faded light silhoutted figures ... a number of armed army walk from the edge of bridge to the middle part where the captured is to be hung.....his stubborn, adament face and expression u never forget... his escape from the underwater and rushes back to his beloved wife and their union. ... when he just embraces her, he receives a shot where he falls down... u become spellbound when you recognize that it was a dream even in the micro seconds of the hanging takes place... in his dream even he meets death...
We discussed it atleast hundred times since then.. even a couple of months back i told this story to a friend of mine while we were at the beach in saudi arabia.... right now.. i hear u, my friend talk from the other corner of the world..about the same story with its vibrance...I feel very much moved...
Thank you for reminding me this story... and for having the privilege of hearing from you the Sir.
This energizes me more to repeat the story telling among new friends....
Wrgds,
Salu.
khushi,
Yes, perhaps I should have done it as a scramble, "a niwilgl efisdielb ni nosunipses."
Randi,
If anyone can ruin a sunny day at the beach, it would be ol' Ambrose.
salu,
Reading your comment, I am more than ever sorry to have attached such a slight pun to the piece. By the way, if you Google "Owl Creek Bridge" "Utube", you will find several film adaptations of the story -- possibly even the film you saw, don't know.
Ha! I enjoyed reading every comment. It's a pity I didn't read it earlier and claim the personal congratulations :)
Ken,
I extend to you my personal congratulations anyway, knowing that you would have had the answer -- yeah, right, sure.
smiles,
rb
Thoroughly enjoyed this! :)
JJ
Hello Mr brault? My name is Francis Tunde and I am a Writer. I am presently compiling some epigrams and aphorisms and I need your permission to include about four of your quotations. I'll be very glad if my request is granted. While thanking you for an anticipated positive response, I look forward to hearing from you soonest. Kind regards
Sorry I forgot to include my email address, You can email me on tunneyo@yahoo.com
Anon/JJ
Thanks. Although it comes across as a Lit 101 mid-term exam, I did actually post it just for a chuckle.
Anon/Francis,
Sent you an email.
smiles,
rb
Post a Comment