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

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... ...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.