What is truth?

In "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," Bierce decieves the reader, and the main character himself, many times.

The first instance of this is the entire second part of the story. In the beginning, the reader was first introduced to a man waiting to be hung at Owl Creek Bridge. The reader reaches part two of the story with expectations that the story will continue with the man being hung. Instead, the reader is deceived for the first time with the timeline of the story shifting to before the man got into this situation.

In part two of the story, not only is the reader deceived, but also the man himself. Peyton Farquhar believes that the gray-clad soldier who approaches him at his home was a part of the Southern troops. The soldier tells him that the Yankees have reached Owl Creek Bridge and "are getting ready for another advance" but that any civilian who interferes with the troops will be hanged.

The reader is lead on to believe that this soldier is fighting for the South, but as part two of the story moves on the reader learns that this soldier is actually a Yankee. This is the second time the reader is decieved.

The final time the reader is deceived is the arguably the most important lie in the story. In part three, Bierce goes into great detail to put the reader into Farquhar's mind as he is being hung. Farquhar is dropped from the bridge and after a few moments, the rope breaks, releasing him into the water below. The reader is then lead through this great escape inevitably leading Farquhar back home, still alive, to see his wife.

But part three of the story was altogether a complete lie. The reader is deceived, again, for the last time.