Ambrose Bierce

4.4                                            Ambrose Bierce                   

Ambrose Bierce was born in the eight-teen hundreds and died when he was seventy-two years old.  Today he is best known for “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”.  He was born into a poor family of farmers in Ohio that were very religious.  Ambrose didn’t take well to religion and made it known in his writings.  When Ambrose was fifteen he went to work as an apprentice.  Soon after, he enlisted in the military during the civil war.  He re-enlisted two more times before leaving for good.  Being that he had been in the military so long there wasn’t much he hadn’t encountered.  After becoming a writer he wrote of the experiences he had and seen.  He was known as “bitter Bierce” writing on death, maimings, and separation of parents, children and families. 

The novel “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” reflects much of Ambrose’s life.  The characters in his stores reflect his life and how he felt.  I can understand how a person can become so bitter seeing the events that the war Intel’s.  But I can also see a person that is bitter turn into a very thankful person.  The setting is Owl Creek Bridge with a prisoner Peyton Farquhar that has a wife and kids.  Peyton is getting ready to be hung.  The soldiers were cold and inhuman in their mannerism.  Before he is hung he escapes, he is free and, is safely with his family which is thirty miles from the bridge.  But in reality he never leaves the tree at all and dies.  Ambrose is a wonderful writer his imagination makes the reader think it is all happening when it is only his imagination.  I knew it was too good to be true.  I knew something weird would take place this was a great story.  When we have an assignment I go to the internet and look around to find out about different people. Especially: if our book doesn’t have a lot of information about their bio.  

  

During my readings on Ambrose I found out that this story has been called several different names.  I’m not sure why but that is a good question for our teacher I’m sure she will know.  I do know that one was a film so maybe that’s why the name has changed some.