Question

SWhich excerpt from "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" best supports the theme that a person cannot escape reality through fantasy?

The water, the banks, the forests, the now distant bridge, fort and men—all were commingled and blurred.
A strange, roseate light shone through the spaces among their trunks and the wind made in their branches the music of Aeolian harps.
Doubtless, despite his suffering, he had fallen asleep while walking, for now he sees another scene—perhaps he has merely recovered from a delirium.
Peyton Farquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge.

Answer 1

"Peyton Farquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge."

This means that the main character, Peyton Farquhar, is dead and hanging from the bridge. It's a stark reminder that his attempt to escape from reality into a dream or fantasy didn't change the fact that he's actually dead. So, the theme is that fantasy can't change reality.