'The Outcasts of Poker Flat' is set near a California mining community during November of 1850. Experimenting with the effectiveness of vigilante justice, the residents of Poker Flat hope to improve the town by expelling a group of undesirables. Character Analysis in The Outcasts of Poker Flat John Oakhurst: A character of noble qualities, John is exiled not due to his unsavory nature, but out of revenge and spite. When he successfully wins a large amount of money from the leaders of the town, they have him permanently banished.
'The Outcasts of Poker Flat' from The Overland Monthly, January 1869
'The Outcasts of Poker Flat' (1869) is a short story written by author of the American West Bret Harte. An example of naturalism and local color of California during the first half of the nineteenth century, 'The Outcasts of Poker Flat' was first published in January 1869 in the magazine Overland Monthly. It was one of two short stories which brought the author national attention.
Plot summary[edit]
The story takes place in a Californian community known as Poker Flat, near the town of La Porte. Poker Flat is, in the opinions of many, on a downward slope. The town has lost thousands of dollars, and has experienced a moral decline. In an effort to save what is left of the town and reestablish it as a 'virtuous' place, a secret society is created to decide whom to exile and whom to kill. On November 23rd of 1850, four 'immoral' individuals are exiled from Poker Flat and warned not to return on pain of death. The first of them is a professional poker player, John Oakhurst. He is among those sent away because of his great success in winning from those on the secret committee. On his way out of town, he is joined by two women, the Duchess and Mother Shipton, and Uncle Billy, the town drunk and a suspected robber. These four set out for the Sandy Bar mining camp, a day's journey away over a mountain range. At noon, the group stops for a rest over Oakhurst's protests.
While on their rest, the group is met by a pair of runaway lovers on their way to Poker Flat to get married. Piney Woods is a fifteen-year-old girl. Her lover, Tom Simson, known also as 'the Innocent', met Oakhurst before and has great admiration for him, as Oakhurst won a great deal of money from Simson. Oakhurst had returned the money and urged Simson never to gamble again, as he was a terrible player. Nonetheless, Simson is thrilled to have come upon Oakhurst on this day, and decides that he and Piney will stay with the group for a while. They do not know that the group is one of exiles, and Simson assumes that the Duchess is Oakhurst's wife, to the amusement of Uncle Billy.
A decision is made for everyone to stay the night together, and they take shelter in a half-built cabin Simson has discovered. In the middle of the night, Oakhurst wakes up and sees a heavy snowstorm raging. Looking about, he realizes that Uncle Billy has fled with the group's horses and mules. They are all now forced to wait out the storm with provisions that will likely only last for another 10 days. After a week in the cabin, Mother Shipton dies, having secretly and altruistically starved herself in order to give her rations to Piney. Oakhurst fashions some snowshoes for Simson to use in traveling to Poker Flat for help, telling the others he will accompany the young man part of the way. The 'law of Poker Flat' finally arrives at the cabin, only to find the Duchess and Piney frozen to death and embracing in a peaceful repose. They look so peaceful and innocent that the onlookers cannot tell which of them had been exiled for her immoral behavior.
Oakhurst commits suicide under a tree by shooting himself through the heart with his derringer. A playing card, the two of clubs, is found pinned to the trunk with a note written on it:
BENEATH THIS TREELIES THE BODY OF JOHN OAKHURST, WHO STRUCK A STREAK OF BAD LUCK ON THE 23rd OF NOVEMBER, 1850, AND HANDED IN HIS CHECKS ON THE 7TH DECEMBER, 1850.
Outcasts Of Poker Flat Summary
Characters[edit]
- John Oakhurst
One of the story's heroes, Oakhurst is occasionally frank but kind in motivation. He is chivalrous, insisting upon switching his good riding horse Five Spot for the mule of the Duchess and refusing to use vulgar language. He further shows his good nature by returning the $40 he had won from Tom Simson in a card game and saying, 'Tommy, you're a good little man, but you can't gamble worth a cent. Don't try it over again.' Oakhurst is not a drinker. He is cool tempered, even keeled and has a calm manner about him. He believes in luck and fate. His suicide spurs the question whether he was simply giving in to his bad luck or rather, decided he was no longer going to live by luck and took his life.
- The Duchess, a young woman.
- Mother Shipton, another woman.
- Uncle Billy, a 'suspected sluice-robber and confirmed drunkard'.
- Tom Simson, a naïve young man who has run away from the Sandy Bar mining camp with Piney Woods and who intends to marry her at Poker Flat.
- Piney Woods, a 'a stout, comely damsel of fifteen' who is engaged to Simson.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations[edit]
Harte's story has been brought to film at least five times, including in 1919 with Harry Carey, in 1937 with Preston Foster, and in 1952 with Dale Robertson. The spaghetti westernFour of the Apocalypse is based on this story and another of Harte's stories, 'The Luck of Roaring Camp'.
Operas based on The Outcasts of Poker Flats include those by Samuel Adler,[1]Jaromir Weinberger,[2] Stanworth Beckler,[3] and Andrew Earle Simpson.[4]
The Outcasts Of Poker Flat Summary
References[edit]
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2006-05-18. Retrieved 2006-08-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^'Jaromir Weinberger – Outcasts of Poker Flat – Opera'. boosey.com.
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2006-07-18. Retrieved 2006-08-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^Andrew Earle Simpson. 'Coming to The Capital Fringe Festival: 'The Outcasts of Poker Flat''. DCMetroTheaterArts.
External links[edit]
Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
- The Outcasts of Poker Flat public domain audiobook at LibriVox
- The Outcasts of Poker Flat – Annotated text + analyses aligned to Common Core Standards
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Outcasts_of_Poker_Flat&oldid=990462634'
Human societies all across the world follow a set of beliefs which influence their attitude and thinking. There are certain values which are honored and followed by the members of these human societies. Among these values, the value of virtue and purity is considered to be most important for the welfare of the society. The significance attached to virtuous behavior and purity in human society is depicted in the short story “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” by Bret Harte. The story follows the journey of four outcasts who are exiled from their community named Poker Flat.
Although these four outcasts are expelled from their community for failing to follow the values of virtue and purity, they display their virtuous qualities in the course of their journey when they seek to protect a young couple of lovers. Through the element of symbolism, the author brings forth the mistaken notion of virtue held by the people in the community of Poke Flat. Symbolism People regard that virtuous behavior is the most important factor which influences the welfare of a human society.
If the members in a particular society are virtuous, then the peace and harmony in the society is maintained. But if some of the members of the society indulge in immoral behavior, then the peace of the society can be threatened. It is this thinking that induces the people of the town in the story “The Outcasts of Poker Flat”, to banish four individuals, who are thought to be indulging in immoral activities, from Poker Flat. These four individuals are John Oakhurst, The Duchess, Mother Shipton and Uncle Billy.
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The Outcasts Of Poker Flat Pdf
John Oakhurst was a gambler whereas Uncle Bill was a drunkard, who was also doubted of being a robber. Mother Shipton owned a brothel while The Duchess worked as a saloon girl. The people of the town desired to deport immoral persons living amongst them hoping that the town will flourish after the departure of such people. “A secret committee had determined to rid the town of all improper persons. ” (Harte 23). These four people were judged by the society as immoral persons so the people of the town ordered them to leave the town.
After being exiled from their town, the four people embark on a journey to reach another camp which was less respectable compared to the Poker Flat. In course of their journey, they decide to halt at a place to take rest, where they are joined by Tom Simson and Piney Woods, young lovers who have eloped from their homes. Owing to a snowstorm and stealing of mules by Uncle Billy, all of them are forced to stay in a cabin discovered by Simson. It is during their stay in the cabin, that the virtuous qualities of the four outcasts are revealed.
Although the outcasts behaved in a manner which was unacceptable to their society, they strove hard to protect the lives of the young lovers. Being at the mercy of nature, the outcasts struggled to keep them alive with the aid of the rations available in the cabin. Mother Shipton sacrifices her life to save Piney by leaving her rations for Piney. “It contained Mother Shipton’s rations for the last week, untouched. “Give ’em to the child,” she said, pointing to the sleeping Piney. ” (Harte 30).
By giving her life for the sake of saving Piney, Mother Shipton reveals her virtuous quality. The same virtuous quality of the outcasts is presented in the story when Piney and The Duchess hold each other and sleep peacefully. The snow covers them and the author describes this happening in a manner which represents the purity of The Duchess and Piney. “Feathery drifts of snow, shaken from the long pine boughs, flew like white-winged birds, and settled about them as they slept. ” (Harte 31). The white-winged birds are symbolic of virtue and purity.
In their death, Piney and The Duchess looked so peaceful that it was hard to point out who was the sinner and who was innocent. “And when pitying fingers brushed the snow from their wan faces, you could scarcely have told from the equal peace that dwelt upon them which was she that had sinned. ” (Harte 32). The snow washed away all the sins of the outcasts. Through the symbolism in the story, the author brings forth the virtues of the outcasts who were exiled from their community for improper behavior.
The snowstorm aids in revealing the virtues of the outcasts and the snow expunges the distinction between the sinner and the innocent. The snow in the story is symbolic of the purity of the outcasts. Conclusion The story “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” by Bret Harte depicts the journey of the four outcasts who are considered to be improper individuals by the people of the town. But their virtuous qualities are revealed when in course of their journey, they make every effort to save the lives of young lovers.
Being held back in their journey by the snowstorm, the outcasts and the lovers stay in a cabin surviving on the rations available there. One of the outcasts, Mother Shipton sacrifices her life to save Piney from death. Her sacrifice brings forth her virtue which was overlooked by the people of the town. Similarly, the virtue of The Duchess is exposed when in death she looks similar to the Piney who was pure and innocent. The snow in the story is a symbol which represents the purity and virtue of the outcasts.
Works Cited
Harte, Bret. Selected Stories of Bret Harte. BiblioBazaar LLC. 2006.