How many people would really die for another person? Or even more difficult, dying for a cause? Many would say no, the task is too difficult, it's too much to ask one person to do it. And who can blame those who believe it? After all, death is absolutely final and irreversible, dying for an idea might seem completely impossible. But there are a selective few who would courageously do what they believe is right, even when the consequences might be dire. Rosa Parks is an extraordinary example of championing the cause. He knew he would have to give up his seat to a white man. He knew that the consequences of such an act at that time were punishable by prison. And he did it anyway, for the dream of equal rights for all, regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, etc. In our story The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, we are given another perfect example. Peyton Farquhar, the victim of the story, is one of those people who received judgment and consequences from another who thinks he is right and superior to him. In this story, the consequences of a normal man cause him to die too quickly, and we can only understand his thoughts and emotions through an author who clearly understands the demands of war. Ambrose Bierce himself was a war veteran and knew the feeling of fighting for your own morals, standards and beliefs, willing to sacrifice your life for a higher cause, whether others understand it or not . During the Civil War, after being mercilessly tasked with attempting to sabotage a seemingly important bridge, Southern plantation owner and family man Peyton Farquhar was sentenced to death by hanging and stood on the solemn Owl Creek Bridge, waiting for the black hour of his death. Even in a few seconds… middle of the paper… I think it's safe to say that countless people are that hopelessly drunk man who begged for death but automatically protects himself from destruction. After all, he is only human. Since we can connect to this emotion of Peyton, can't we also say that we fight for a higher cause? Are we willing to do what it takes to defend whatever we consider true and worthy of defense and protection? Defending what is important to someone is the subtle undercurrent of this story that Ambrose Bierce wrote, being a war veteran himself. Clearly, this is something he really believes in. He tells us through the words of his story, what can we do if not fight death without hope? Peyton Farquhar reacted mentally, right under the nose of death. Why? Because he is human. Humans who can hate, love, want, reject. All emotions strong enough to make us fight, for any purpose.