New Sub-questions

Original Sub-questions:

Is there truth in the stories?
How do the stories affect their audience?
What representations of the Civil War does Bierce present? How does this affect the current audience?

New Additional Sub-questions:

What has influenced Bierce to write these stories?
In what way do the stories represent the American Civil War?
How has the wider community responded to these stories?
Why are the stories so dark and dismal?

The new questions may need some alteration but for now they are fine I hope. :)