Farquhar's Fantasy

"An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge"
Ambrose Bierce, 1890

"Then all at once, with terrible suddenness, the light about him shot upward with the noise of a loud splash; a frightful roaring was in his ears, and all was cold and dark." -page 4

The further I got in this story, the more aware I became of its probable ending.  In addition to the irony characteristic of most short stories, there is a specific writing style present indicative of the story's outcome.  Bierce's intimate descriptiveness makes seconds feel like ages, reflective of the feelings of a dying man.  It is this portrait-like writing style that hints at Farquhar's fate.  In his dying moments, he experiences everything within his own mind.  His sense are heightened and sharpened with his bodies response to its demise, and in asphyxiation he seems to hallucinate this beautiful fantasy in his head.

I call it a fantasy because it seems to me that Farquhar enjoys his faux experience.  We are specifically told of his desire to join the army, and his thirst for action is proven in his real life actions.  Throughout the story, we see his intimate knowledge of weaponry and army etiquette.  He knows the sergeants next move, and is internally classifying the cannons and rifleman.  Although seemingly horrifying, it appears to make Farquhar euphoric.  Never having the chance to join the military himself, this action and application of otherwise un-honed skills excites him beyond belief.  Every scene, every action is described intensely as if to signify Farquhar's lust for this experience.

That being said, this story could likely be referencing heaven.  As an Alabama southerner it is highly likely Farquhar is Catholic.  Especially with the quote at the end describing his beautiful, bright home and family, it is clear that there is some sort of hallucination.  The description at the end especially is filled with words like "joy" and "sunshine", a very unrealistic description of his current situation.  Nevertheless, a picturesque ending to his escape fantasy.