“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.”
Realist works focus on objective descriptions and details, and they often deeply explore characters and their motivations. They also frequently contain commentaries and reflections on relevant social issues of the time. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” exemplifies this approach, as it contains many objective descriptions of Farquhar’s imminent death and his natural environment while focusing on his character development and reflecting the harsh realities of the Civil War. Ambrose Bierce is often cited as a key example of writers from the American Realism movement, along with authors such as Mark Twain and Joseph Kirkland.
