owl creek

The exact positioning of the men and the careful attention to terminology in the description of their postures is part of Bierce's "reality effect." He is creating this event as a fact by using the precise language of military drill. These details have a thematic effect as well--one Bierce identifies explicitly. The goal of establishing the reality of the situation is reinforced by the geographic and historical references (e.g. Alabama, Federal). The arrangement of …

…Fahrquhar's final moment. This paragraph comes the closest to offering the account as something allegorical. He is indeed entering "that unknown country" of death. The Wood may be Spenser's Wandering Wood, the home of Error; the straight but untravelled road is the road each person travels only once--and alone. The heavens here are unfamiliar; their secret is indeed malign. Here he is clearly dying, his tongue thrusting out from between his teeth as he strangles.