Final answer:
In 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,' the author Ambrose Bierce uses sensory descriptions and time shifts to highlight the protagonist's psychological experience of time during his final moments. The detailed focus on the ticking watch symbolizes the distorted perception of time as the character faces death. References to time are significant as they illustrate the character's heightened state of awareness and his mental escape into thoughts of his family.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Ambrose Bierce's short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," the author uses elaborate sensory descriptions and shifts in time to heighten the suspense and convey the subjective experience of time passing as the protagonist, Peyton Farquhar, faces his imminent death. The ticking of Farquhar's watch becomes exaggerated to the character, symbolizing the slow passage of his final moments. Farquhar's hyper-awareness of his surroundings and the detailed description of sensory experiences, such as sounds and visual details, are indicative of the heightened state of perception often reported by individuals in life-threatening situations.
The time references in the story are significant as they convey the character's psychological experience rather than objective reality. This is achieved through the use of flashbacks, evocative descriptions of sensory perceptions, and the slow motion of objects, such as the driftwood in the stream, which contrasts with the urgent ticking of the watch. The ticking is so detailed and intense that it becomes a painful, knife-like thrust to Farquhar's ear, suggesting not only the character's extreme focus on the passage of time but also the intrusion of his impending fate into his stream of consciousness.
The significance of these references to time is pivotal, as they serve to underscore the psychological state of Farquhar during his final moments, revealing his desperate thoughts and the distortion of his reality as he imagines escaping and returning to his family.