Bierce hints at a transition from reality to illusion by using visual imagery to express the sensory perceptions of the main character, Peyton Farquhar. For example, he uses the piece of driftwood in the river as a symbol. Farquhar is thinking about his wife and children, but the driftwood distracts him from his thoughts. In the short story it says: “[...] his gaze wander to the swirling water of the stream racing madly beneath his feet. A piece of dancing driftwood caught his attention and his eyes followed it down the current. How slowly it appeared to …show more content…
An undercover Northern scout advises Farquhar to set fire to the piles of wood under the bridge. The bridge serves as the connection between the Confederacy and the Union. The reason for his execution is because of his attempt to sabotage the bridge, which would lead to the Confederates’ victory, destroying order and connection. At the same time, Farquhar erodes order by fantasizing and disconnecting himself from reality. The bridge serves as the psychological space that joins life and death for Farquhar. As he falls into the river, he is falling into the realm of his own