An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

Even though I have ready Bierce's "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" many times, it still amazes me how he can convince the reader that Farquhar is still alive. Each time I seem to pick up on more details that hint to you he is really dead and I noticed even more as we discussed them in class. On page 138 Bierce details, "The wood on either side was full of singular noises, among which-once, twice, and again, he distinctly heard whispers in an unknown tongue." At this part in the story I feel Farquhar is getting extremely close to his realization with death. He is lost in the woods that should be familiar to him. He cannot even recognize the sounds of the woods that surround his own home. Its as if now he is too distant from his home, he will never be able to familiarize himself with the sounds of his own home again because it is no longer his home. The "singular noises" Bierce describes convinces me more of Farquhar's death because now he is alone. When everyone travels to the after life I feel as though their journey is now an independent one. Maybe all the "singular noises" Farquhar hears are the noises of other deceased people making their way to the after life. They all realize there is something going on around them, but they cannot grasp it nor get into contact with it. The "unknown tongue" that is described seems to me to be the voice Farquhar is subconsciously moving too. These voices are unknown to him (maybe the voice of the after life or death.) If this voice really was death it would make sense it was unfamiliar because Farquhar clearly has never experienced that until now.