Ambrose Bierce wrote “An Event at Owl Creek Bridge” in 1890 for the San Francisco Examiner. Before that, Bierce fought in the American Civil War for the Union Army as a lieutenant. During the Civil War, Bierce fought in some of the most gruesome battles, such as Shiloh and Chickamauga. These battles were often gruesome and gruesome due to the limited medical knowledge of the time. After the Civil War, Bierce went through a period of unhappiness, where his wife left him and his son died in a gunfight. Interestingly, during this time Bierce wrote some of his best works. These tragedies made Bierce even more cynical, which inevitably improved his stories. Bierce's cynicism is essential to the development of his stories. Another important part of his stories are the allusions to reality. A cursory reading of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” might leave the reader with the impression that Farquhar has escaped. On closer inspection, this result seems impossible. One of the most astonishing elements of "An Event at Owl Creek Bridge" is the way Bierce integrates Farquhar's reality with his dream of escape. In “An Event at Owl Creek Bridge,” Ambrose Bierce creates a masterpiece of deception using allusions. Ambrose Bierce uses a perfect point of view in "An Event at Owl Creek Bridge" deceptively alluding to what is really going on in Peyton Farquhar's life. . In order to give the reader the insight and knowledge to understand what is going on in Farquhar's head and what is happening around him, there needs to be a unique point of view. The narrator must be able to tell what Farquhar is thinking, which is why for the first part, the story is in the third person point of view. Bierce also wanted...... middle of paper ... which is perceived to be true. All of these literary techniques help to make Bierce's allusions to existence real and believable. The way Bierce uses an intriguing story to make a normal antagonist into the protagonist is extraordinary. In most accounts of the Civil War, the Union proves correct and always just. In this particular story, the Union is the enemy and they apparently kill a fairly innocent man because he was simply protecting their way of life. Even though all of this is true, the reader is still left wanting to believe the story and wishing for Peyton Farquhar's escape. I believe this story is not only about a time period 150 years ago but also about today. Don't judge something as truth until you really know what's going on and also the realistic notion that not everything in the world is butterflies and rainbows..