An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is a historical fiction short story that is a well-known example of Realism. The realist movement in the United States began after the Civil War in the 1860s and lasted into the early 20th century. Writing from this era marked a noticeable departure from Romanticism, which focused on emotional writing and grand topics and scenes. In contrast, writing from the realist movement focused on chronicling the often harsh realities of everyday life, whether depicting everyday people (rather than nobility or heroes) or describing the realities of war, as Bierce does in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.”