A new analytical model which can discribe the relationship between the bridging stress and the crack opening displacement was proposed to investigate the microstructural effect on the R-curve behavior in a polycrystalline alumina. The crack opening displacement according to the distance behind the stationary crack tip was measured using in-situ fracture technique in an SEM, and then used for a fitting procedure to obtain the distribution of bridging stress. The current model and an empirical power law relation were introduced into the fitting procedure. The results indicated that the bridging stress function and R-curve computed by the current model were consistent with those computed by the power law relation. The microstructural factor, e.g., the distribution of grain size, was also found to be closely related to the bridging stress. Thus, this model explained well the interaction effect between the distribution of bridging stress and the local-fracture-controlling microstructure, providing important information for the systematic interpretation of microfracture mechanism including R-curve behavior of a monolithic alumina.