THE MAIN CHARACTER’S “ANXIETY” AS SEEN IN AMBAROSE BIERCE’S AN OCCURENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE

Abstract

In this paper, the writer describes about Fahquhar as the main character of the story. He is the plantation owner who will be hung by the Federal Scout. The main character is pictured in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge written by Ambarose Bierce. The paper has two purposes: (1) to analyze the anxieties of the main character and (2) to describe the types of defense mechanism. In analyzing the short story, the writer applied Sigmund Freud‟s theory of Psychoanalysis which emphasizes on defense mechanism. The writer also used the technique of close reading that helps the writer to read the whole story several times and to understand the contents of the story. The results showed that how the main character protects himself against anxiety by using defense mechanism. The story showed that the anxiety emerges in the forms of realistic and neurotic anxieties because he worries about the death of executions on the gallows. This is considered as realistic anxiety. He is captured by the guards at the Owl Bridge. The soldiers are ordered to hang him in the footing or altar which is considered as the neurotic anxiety. To protect himself against the realistic and neurotic anxieties, the main character uses denial reality, fantasy and sublimation as the self defense mechanism.
Key words: anxiety, denial reality, fantasy, defense mechanism