An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge Analysis

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The literary movement of realism developed shortly after the end of the civil war, a time period that is central to the plot of An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. As a man from Northern Alabama is about to be hung, his executioners are described as, “Two private soldiers of the Federal army, directed by a sergeant, who in civil life may have been a deputy sheriff. At a short remove upon the same temporary platform was an officer in the uniform of his rank armed. He was a captain” (Bierce, 318). This description makes clear that the story takes place during the civil war, and that some of the most important characters are soldiers, sergeants, and a captain. These characters play a prominent role in the story in which the two sides of the civil…show more content…
Bierce’s background and experience with the current events of the civil war largely influenced his writing through the setting, characters, and overall ending of the story. Additionally, extreme attention to detail was carried out in this story which made the reader have certain emotions which may not have been created if it were not for this realistic writing style. Lastly, the surprise ending to the story put the simpler and more life-like story over that of heroics, a staple of realism. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge puts the literature that people read into perspective and can raise important questions that can be applied to all literature. Being able to uncover the underlying meaning of a story and the background of the author and how it effected his writings are crucial ideas that should be applied to all literature. Altogether, this story helps to open the reader’s eyes to the way literature is influenced by current world events as well as internal motives of the author, two ideas that should always be considered when studying
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