Analysis Of Ambrose Bierce's An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

During the period of Realism in the late 19th century, writers attempted to bring their readers into a story that they or someone they knew might experience. It was very popular as it was relatable but also brought up themes that were not commonly explored. As best said by Harriet Kramer Linkin of the Journal of Narrative Technique "Bierce plays a cat and mouse game with his readers in the tale" (Linkin 2). This is shown especially well in Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". In this short story, Bierce tests his readers by blurring the fine line between fiction and reality.

Ambrose Bierce was born in Ohio on June 24th, 1842. Bierce married Mary Ellen Day in 1871 and had three children, Day, Leigh, and Helen. Day and Leigh died in their twenties, one by suicide and the other from phenomena. Ambrose divorced Mary Ellen in 1904 and she died the year after. His daughter Helen was his only descendant that outlived him. Bierce served in the Union Army's 9th Indiana Infantry Regiment. A year after he enlisted, he was made First Lieutenant and worked as a topographical engineer, creating maps of battlefields. It is believed that he suffered from PTSD which influenced many of his later works. According to Bill Marx of Artfuse.org "He was the only major American author to serve in the Civil War, and his writing on combat, including yarns about the horrific battles he participated in, such as Chickamauga, catch the chaos of conflagration" (Marx). As M.A. Schaffner put it, "Bierce’s descriptions are fantastically horrible because the truth is sometimes fantastically horrible. (Schaffner)"

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is split into three sections. In the first section, Bierce describes in detail the situation, a youn...

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...egin to broaden. The thought that death is inevitable, institutes a new perspective into Farquhar’s mind. As he falls into the water, his senses are awoken as he comes to the surface and feels the “ripples upon his face and heard their separate sounds as they stuck” (Bierce 468). This use of imagery is significant as it helps contribute to the sense of authenticity, which again ties back to realism.

During the period of realism, authors carefully treaded the line between fiction and reality. Bierce is successful in doing this, and at times pushes that boundary. His use of literary devices and his previous experiences at war both add to the authenticity of the story. His excessive use of detail provides a sense of security that lures the reader in and later keeps them reading. Overall, Bierce brought his readers into a world that was not real but also not fictional.