Literary movements are defined by the philosophies contributed by poets, screenwriters and authors of a certain period. As an editor, journalist, philosopher, and author, Ambrose Bierce (1842–1914) challenged the style of the Romantic movement in many ways, which some considered harsh and bland. The themes of his works generally concerned the brutality of war, the perception of time and the reality of certain situations. Bierce used incredibly precise detail and everyday diction to describe non-idealized life events to their fullest validity. Bierce's life experiences helped create his realistic philosophy and writing style, which are ideally illustrated in his short story "An Event at Owl Creek Bridge." The meticulous view of life that Bierce had in both his philosophy and his writings classifies him as a realist writer. Realism is believed to have emerged in France in the mid-1800s as a reaction to the preceding Romantic movement. Realistic minds, similar to the philosophies of Descartes and Locke, believe that truth must be discovered through the senses. This doctrine created the main goal of the authors of realism: to express the fundamental truth of an experience without any artificiality or artistic convention that alters its meaning. "In American literature, the term "realism" encompasses the period from the Civil War to the turn of the century, during which others wrote fiction devoted to an accurate depiction and exploration of American life in various contexts” (Campbell par. 3). Authors of this era created very specific works with few tangents to the actual event itself. The characters in realism's writings were not the extravagant people seen in the Romantic movement, but ordinary humans participating in basic waking...... middle of paper ...... English, Washington State University. July 7, 2013. the web. April 17, 2014. Evans, Robert C.. "Robert C. Evans, annotated critical edition of "An Event at Owl Creek Bridge." "Robert C. Evans, annotated critical edition of "An Event at Owl Creek Bridge." The Ambrose Bierce Project, nd Web. April 29, 2014."Fiction." : An event at Owl Creek Bridge. Fiction The Eserver Collection, nd Web. May 5, 2014. .Gullette, Alan. "ABAS: The Life of Bierce."ABAS: The Life of Bierce. The Ambrose Bierce Appreciation Society, nd Web. May 6, 2014. .Peers, Michele. “Ambrose Bierce.” Introduction to the short story. Np, and Web. May 4 2014..