Peyton Farquhar is the main character in An Occurrence at Owl Creek by Ambrose Bierce, a story about the eventual hanging of Farquhar for his support of the Confederate army during the civil war. The fractured nature of the narrative allows the plot to culminate at one point where the final connection is made. Peyton Farquhar's eventual death opens a window into her final moments on earth as a living being. Moving in his spirit alongside her as he escapes death and makes his way through the woods to his wife and children illustrates Farquhar's unwavering loyalty to his family, even in the face of death. His duty to provide for his family is, consciously and unconsciously, his first priority. His escape was not just an attempt at survival driven by human instinct, but rather a commitment to return to his beloved family, the first priority in Farquhar's life. A commitment so strong that his desire to return to his family surpasses all logic and basic instinct even when it is only a mental construct. One of Farquhar's strongest feelings, his horror of the Union army, did not occur to him during his flight. This is all the more remarkable since this group is responsible for the permanent elimination of Farquhar from his family's life. This is evident in Farquhar's last thoughts before being hanged, his only apparent reason for escaping, his return home to his family, and the journey he continues to make to return home before his true destiny is revealed. Conventional belief is that anyone facing imminent death uses their final moment to think about those who matter most in their life. Although it is almost impossible to confirm, it seems that the overwhelming finality of death would make all ...... middle of paper ...... of his family, is not present in his construction. The plot of the story is not arranged in chronological order. Therefore, the person's fate is obvious before their true character is revealed. Proof of this assertion appears in Farquhar's last thoughts before being hanged by the Union army. Furthermore, his motivation, to return to his wife and children, makes this argument even clearer. Finally, the twenty miles Farquhar traveled after being so close to death further proves that his devotion to his family exceeds his instincts. The realistic construction of a reality in which Farquhar escapes and reunites with his family illustrates the constant longing for the most meaningful part of his life, his family. Works Cited Bierce, Ambrose. “An event at Owl Creek Bridge.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: Norton, 2008. 300-306.