Ambrose Bierce 's “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is a short story illustrating the capture of a wealthy planter and slave owner in the midst of the Civil War. Ambrose Bierce uses the sense of time and illusion to go in greater depth of his multiple themes. Ambrose Bierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” shows many different aspects of literary devices, setting, and theme to help develop the story about Peyton Farquhar and the alternative reality around him. A quick look at these multiple aspects will reveal how “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” achieves its dramatic effect. Literary devices play a very crucial role on helping develop Bierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” For example, time is the major symbol throughout the story. When the story begins, we learn that the main character essentially is out of time and just seconds away from being hanged off of Owl Creek Bridge. As the main character’s death gets close and closer, the narrator continuously shifts back and forth from the present and past. The reader not only learns about the main character 's name throughout the time shifts, but also led what led to his execution. This flow of time shows Farquhar’s helplessness over the course of events that happen in the story. Farquhar’s watch is a good representation of his helplessness and the short matter of time left in his life. The ticking of the watch represents the amount of seconds that Farquhar has left in his life like a “death knell” (1.5), the