In "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" Bierce describes Farquhar, the main character, as a good guy, not involved in the murder of his fellow Americans, whether from the North of from the South. Farquhar, sentenced to death by asphyxiation, would describe himself as a man with no fear. As Farquhar slowly died, he felt himself going through his life from young to old. He could see a spider from 30 yards away and hear the beating of the wings of a dragonfly. He thought of escaping at first, and then he went straight to thinking of running home to his wife. What makes this story more than predictable is found simply in Bierce's uncompromisingly negative view of the world (Bierce 2). Throughout "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" literary devices including imagery, symbolism, and foreshadowing help to bring out the central theme, the human need to escape death, by...