Ambrose Bierce was a 19th century American author known for his satirical writing and short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." He fought in the Civil War and later became a journalist in California. In 1913, he traveled to Mexico during the revolution and disappeared, with his fate remaining a mystery. His famous story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is set during the Civil War and features a surprise ending where the main character's escape is revealed to be an illusion. The story is praised for its modern techniques and examination of reality versus illusion.

1. Ambrose Bierce
Author of The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
By Damasio Velasquez

2. Quick Facts
• Full Name: Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce
• Born: June 24, 1842
• Birthplace: Meigs County, Ohio
• Writing Genre: Satire
• Had a wife and three children
• Fought in the American Civil War
• Believed to had died in Mexico after the start of the Mexican
Revolution (1914)

3. Military Career (American Civil War)
• Enlisted in the Union Army’s 9th
Indiana Infantry Regiment (1861)
• Mapped battlefields as a
topographical engineer
• Fought in the Battle of Shiloh
(1862)
• Discharged in January 1865
• Participated in an expedition to
inspect military outposts from
Omaha, Nebraska to San Francisco,
California

4. Journalism
• Bierce became a large contributor to newspapers in San Francisco
• Did extensive work with the San Francisco Examiner
• Was one of the most influential journalists in California
• Was recognized by newspapers all over the world

5. Mexican Revolution
• In 1913, Bierce followed Pancho Villa and
his army through Mexico the revolution
• His last known whereabouts were in the
CIty of Chihuahua
• Some claim that he was executed in
Mexico or committed suicide
• The exact details of his death remains a
mystery

6. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
• One of Bierce’s most famous short stories
• Originally published by the San Francisco
Examiner
• Set during the American Civil War
• Made famous for its surprise ending and
captivating plot

8. Critics on “An Occurrence at Owl Bridge”
• “.. gimmicky, contrived ending and manipulation of readers’
expectations”.- Sparknotes
• “This first thing I did, upon reading Ambrose Bierce’s “An Occurrence
at Owl Creek Bridge” was to double-check the publication date. That’s
right, 1890. The story feels so modern—had it been published in
1990, I would not have been surprised. And that’s largely because of
the “quick-cut” of Bierce’s flip.”- Noah Charney

9. Personal Interpretation
• Amusing that Bierce make Farquhar seem like the innocent victim,
and making the Union seem evil
• Interesting on differing moments of realization of the execution
between the story and the film
• Seems that Farquhar is tricked into sabotaging the bridge by the
Federal Scout
• Farquhar found a certain kind of peace in imagining his reunion with
his wife

10. Background Influences
• Due to his extensive experience with the Civil War, it inspired many of
his works to have a Civil War setting
• He was shot by a Confederate soldier and forced to resign from the
military
• Has traveled to San Francisco, Washington D.C., London
• Wife and two sons died before him
• He has witnessed corruption in governments and newspaper
companies

11. Theme: Reality vs Illusion
• Imagining his escape becomes the reader’s reality
• His mind creates the whole journey of escaping the hanging,
swimming away, and embracing his wife
• His gray world masks the true identity of those responsible for his
death
• Our illusions can end within a blink of an eye
• No matter what illusion we create ourselves, we can not escape
reality

12. Owl Creek Bridge
• Considered important for the Union army in order to enter enemy
territory
• Despite Farquhar’s plan to destroy the bridge, he fails and it becomes
the site of his execution
• The bridge is a passage for both life and death for Farquhar
• The bridge then becomes a passage between reality and illusion once
Farquhar imagines his escape
• It continues to stand despite the conflicts surrounding it

13. Notable Passages
• He was now in full possession of his physical senses. They were,
indeed, preternaturally keen and alert
• An hour later, after nightfall, he repassed the plantation, going
northward in the direction from which he had come. He was a Federal
scout.
• As he is about to clasp her he feels a stunning blow upon the back of
the neck; a blinding white light blazes all about him with a sound like
the shock of a cannon—then all is darkness and silence!

14. Story vs. Film
• Fast-paced in Farquhar’s illusion
all the way to his death
• Much more dialogue from
dialogue from Farquhar and
other characters
• Imagery within his illusion shows
the evilness that surrounds him
• Describes how Farquhar first
thought of sabotaging Owl Creek
Bridge
• Attention to Farquhar’s setting
much more in detail
• Repetition in motion when
Farquhar sees his wife
• No dialogue from Farquhar at all
• Clues placed in the film that
indicate that something more
sinister is at hand

15. Quotes
• “Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you
will ever regret.”
• “Education, n.: That which discloses to the wise and disguises from
the foolish their lack of understanding”
• “War is God's way of teaching Americans geography.”

16. Other Notable Works
• "An Inhabitant of Carcosa"
• "Chickamauga"
• "The Damned Thing"
• The Devil's Dictionary
• “Beyond the Wall”
• “A Diagnosis of Death”
• “A Jug of Sirup”

17. Sources
donswaim.com
www.online-literature.com/bierce/
www.ambrosebierce.org
www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/ambrosebie104027.html
http://www.newhavenreview.com/index.php/2013/07/short-story-
playlist-1-an-occurrence-at-owl-creek-bridge/