Comparison of the sacrifices characters make in Ambrose Bearce's "An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge" and John Updike's "A & P".

Often times in literature for the protagonist to make progress a sacrifice has to be made. This sacrifice can spark progress in the movement of the story or growth in the character themselves. The true development in the story comes not in the sacrifice but in the motives behind the characters actions. After we know the motivation of the characters within the story we can begin to analyze what they represent. In both "An Occurrence …

…went deeper than surface accomplishments. Sammy's quitting became and epiphanal moment for him where he finally realized what it was that mattered most to him. Peyton, unfortunately, made no headway as "person" but rather his decision gave the reader insight to who he was as a character. Had either of these characters opted not to forfeit something in their lives as they did the authors would have been ineffective in conveying their motives and personalities.