I made a connection between events of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" and something I have personally experienced. During the last portion of the story, Peyton was trying to get home through the forest. He continually would come across places or things that he thought he knew, but they seemed different to him now. For example, as he traveled through the woods, he found that it seemed interminable- he could not find the slightest break in it or any small road. He had not remembered that this strange and wild forest was the one he lived in, and there was something uncanny in this revelation. Also, as he looked upward to the night sky, he saw great golden stars that looked unfamiliar and which were arranged in strange constellations.
My personal experience connecting with this is from many instances in my own dreams when there is a place that I know well, just like Peyton had known the forest and the sky well, but as I am dreaming the place seems somehow different and strange. Even though while I'm dreaming I know the place, something about it isn't quite the same as it is in real life.
Also, Peyton seems to suddenly be transported back to his home at the end of the story. I have also experienced this in my dreams, when I seem to be one place and all of a sudden I'm somewhere else.
Good post! I have many times had that same exerpience also. We can almost put ourselves in his 'shoes' because of it. Many times I am dreaming, I get to a 'good' part in the dream and then wake up to reality. The same thing happened to Peyton just as he was about to embrace his wife.
ReplyDeleteI have definitely had dreams like this too. I didn't really notice the thing about Peyton not remembering the woods e was walking through until you mentioned it, but it seems like a pretty major clue.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure I've had this happen too at some point but it never really came to mind while i was reading.
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