In "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," what is the impact of the title when it says "an occurrence"? In what ways might the incident be considered...

The title of Ambrose Bierce's short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is an understatement that belies how profound the subject matter of the story is. The "occurrence" is the hanging of a Confederate civilian operative by the Union Army. Obviously a death under any circumstances is a profound topic; life is precious, and death by hanging is particularly fraught with emotion, certainly for the one being hanged, and also for anyone else who cares for the person. Even those carrying out the hanging cannot remain unmoved by the process. 

In another sense, though, the word "occurrence" indicates that the event is somewhat routine, somewhat unremarkable. And in the context of the American Civil War, an event such as this would be just one of many, many horrific scenes that played out for the four years of the conflict. More American soldiers died in the Civil War than have died in any other armed conflict America has participated in. Over 620,000 soldiers died; this single death of a civilian operative, then, becomes simply an "occurrence." 

In another sense, the word "occurrence" in the title is ambiguous. What event does the title refer to? The obvious answer, which is reinforced by the last sentence of the story, is that it refers to the hanging of Peyton Farquhar. But there are two other "occurrences" that might be the subject of the title. First, something happened at Owl Creek bridge before the hanging. Farquhar attempted to destroy the bridge in order to keep the Union Army from advancing across it into Southern territory. As part of this effort, he planned to "elude the picket post" and "get the better of the sentinel." Since he referred to himself as "a student of hanging," it's possible Farquhar attempted to hang or succeeded in hanging the sentinel from Owl Creek bridge. Whatever Farquhar managed to accomplish was the "occurrence" that led to his eventual hanging and is therefore arguably the more important "occurrence" in the story. 

The other "occurrence" that could be referred to in the title is the imagined "occurrence" of Farquhar's escape. Taking up the last half of the story, the miraculous survival tale is a more noteworthy event than the hanging was, if it had been real. Of course, it all happens in Farquhar's mind in the split second before he loses his life. The detailed descriptions and developing suspense in this section make it the most memorable part of the story. The most profound message the story relays is also found in this section. That a person could live out such a seemingly realistic scenario in just a second or two underscores how precious life is and how one hangs onto life and hangs onto hope until the very end. 

The title of this story uses understatement to produce a profound effect on the reader, causing him or her to contemplate the preciousness of life.