Classic American Short Stories Group

Question:

m777dhoom777t
m777dhoom777t
Student
High School - 9th Grade

What is the meaning of a "Sabbath lull" in the short story The Outcasts of Poker Flats?

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Posted by m777dhoom777t on Sunday March 15, 2009 at 12:27 PM and tagged with classic american short stories, the outcasts of poker flats.

Answers:

  1. dneshan
    dneshan Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    This quote is used in the very first paragraph of the story.  It states,

    “There was a Sabbath lull in the air, which, in a settlement unused to Sabbath influences, looked ominous.”

    In this part of the story, the narrator is describing the setting and explaining how quiet the town was on this particular day.  The term “Sabbath lull” refers to the fact that the Sabbath, usually a Sunday, would be a day of rest, when most people would be home with their families or at church and everything would be much quieter than on any other day. 

    This term is also significant because most of the people in Poker Flat would not be the type to go to church or keep the Sabbath day holy.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/outcasts-poker-text/outcasts-poker-...

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    Posted by dneshan on Sunday March 15, 2009 at 4:53 PM