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The Outcasts of Poker Flat

by Bret Harte

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The Outcasts of Poker Flat

In Bret Harte's "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," John Oakhurst is a professional gambler depicted as both the strongest and weakest of the outcasts. He is characterized by his calm demeanor,...

6 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

In Bret Harte's "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," the town expels four individuals deemed undesirable by a secret committee aiming to cleanse the community. The outcasts include John Oakhurst, a...

6 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

Mr. Oakhurst is considered both the strongest and weakest among "The Outcasts of Poker Flat." His strength lies in his calm demeanor, leadership, and sense of responsibility, as he guides the group...

5 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

The setting of the story is the most important element.

3 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

Mother Shipton is characterized as a tough, shrewd, and caring woman who is initially seen as a hardened outcast. However, her true nature is revealed when she sacrifices her own food to ensure the...

3 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

On the first day, the outcasts travel through a mountain range and decide to camp for the night. They awaken to find Uncle Billy has stolen their mules, leaving them stranded. On the second day, they...

2 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

The realization that Uncle Billy is plotting against the other outcasts becomes clear when he feels excluded after Tom and Piney arrive with horses and provisions. Uncle Billy's distrustworthiness is...

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

"The Outcasts of Poker Flat" is regional fiction due to its focus on the distinctive features of the Wild West, including typical characters like gamblers and prostitutes, and the setting during the...

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

In "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," "Sabbath lull" refers to an unusual and ominous quietness akin to the peaceful calm typically associated with Sunday mornings when townspeople attend church. In the...

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

In "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," the camp experiences a series of events and discoveries that reveal the characters' true natures. They find themselves stranded due to a snowstorm, leading to acts of...

6 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

The rescue party in "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" finds the bodies of the Dutchess and Piney Woods locked in each other's arms, indistinguishable in death, as the snow erases their pasts. They also...

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

John Oakhurst chose the two of clubs for his epitaph in "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" to symbolize his persistent bad luck. The two of clubs is one of the lowest and often considered an unlucky card...

2 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

The secret committee of Poker Flat decided to banish "improper persons" to improve the town's reputation after suffering significant losses, including money, horses, and a citizen. This decision...

5 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

Situational irony in "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" includes John Oakhurst, an honest gambler, being exiled from a town named for a card game, and the "virgin" Piney Woods befriending prostitutes...

2 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

In Bret Harte's "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," Tom Simson, known as "The Innocent of Sandy Bar," shares a significant past with Mr. Oakhurst, a professional gambler. They previously met when Oakhurst...

3 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

The Duchess evolves from a melodramatic and immature woman into a compassionate and selfless figure in "The Outcasts of Poker Flat." Initially exiled for her sinful past, she undergoes a...

2 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

Mr. Oakhurst and the others leave Poker Flat because they are expelled by a secret vigilante committee aiming to "clean up" the town by removing undesirable individuals. This group, consisting of a...

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

John Oakhurst doesn't reveal Uncle Billy's actions to avoid alarming the innocent members of the group, Tom and Piney. After Uncle Billy deserts them, Oakhurst decides to maintain hope by suggesting...

2 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

Piney Woods is a fifteen-year-old girl in Bret Harte's "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," characterized as a "stout comely damsel." She runs away with Tom Simson to marry him against her father's wishes....

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

The culture in "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" is characterized by the moral and social values of the town. The citizens, aiming to preserve a certain standard, expel individuals like John Oakhurst, a...

2 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

Mr. Oakhurst urges the group to continue toward Sandy Bar because the journey over the steep mountain range is difficult, especially in the advanced season approaching winter, making the trail narrow...

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

The story implies that innocence, as embodied by Tom Simson, provides a form of protection from the harshness and injustice faced by the outcasts of society. Despite their tragic ends, the outcasts'...

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

Oakhurst feels uneasy when Tom Simson appears because Tom's arrival signifies worsening circumstances for the group. Oakhurst is aware that the camp is poorly provisioned and that Tom, being naive...

2 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

Mr. Oakhurst believes camping en route to Sandy Bar is unwise due to the harsh winter conditions and the group's lack of preparation. The journey involves crossing the Sierra Nevada, a challenging...

2 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

In "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," symbols include Poker Flat and the outcasts themselves. Poker Flat represents the New West's push towards order and civilization, while the outcasts symbolize the Old...

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

Uncle Billy is distinct from the other outcasts in "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" because he is the only one guilty of a true crime—being a drunken nuisance and a suspected thief. Unlike the others,...

2 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

At the camp, Mr. Oakhurst's group, consisting of himself, two prostitutes, and Uncle Billy, is joined by a young couple, Tom Simson and Piney Woods. Tom, known as "The Innocent," recognizes Oakhurst...

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

Mr. Oakhurst is depicted as intelligent, well-dressed, and chivalrous, known for his profession as a gambler rather than any crime. He remains calm and abstains from alcohol, understanding the...

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

The committee acts against Mr. Oakhurst because he serves as a scapegoat for the town's financial losses. As a skilled gambler, Oakhurst wins money from prominent townspeople, causing resentment. The...

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

Mr. Oakhurst is banished from Poker Flat instead of being hanged because he is known not to cheat at cards. Those who lost money to him recognize his fairness, which prevents the more vindictive...

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

Tom Simson in "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" embodies the archetypal character of "The Innocent." He is characterized by his optimism, naivety, and unwavering loyalty. Despite his lack of poker skills...

2 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

A euphemism in "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" is the description of the outcasts as "the deported wickedness of Poker Flat," masking the town's hypocrisy in blaming its woes on individuals like a...

2 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

The right choice was to wait until the last possible moment before sending Tom for help.

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

John Oakhurst, the Duchess, and Mother Shipton are kind people who do not want to scare Tom and his wife.

2 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

The searchers from Poker Flat find Duchess and Piney dead, holding each other for warmth, having frozen to death yet appearing peaceful. They also discover John Oakhurst's body, who shot himself...

2 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

In "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," "professional" refers to someone engaged in an occupation, particularly one requiring special training or expertise. "Impropriety" denotes inappropriate or unethical...

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

Oakhurst's vulnerabilities in "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" include his gambling addiction and his inability to escape his reputation. Despite his calm demeanor, he faces moral dilemmas and the harsh...

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

Modern Westerns partly originate from Bret Harte's stories, including "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," which contributed to the genre's themes and character archetypes. While Harte's stories influenced...

8 educator answers

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

At the start of "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," the committee decides to banish a group of individuals deemed undesirable, including a gambler, a prostitute, and a drunkard, to protect the town's moral...

1 educator answer

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

Exposition refers to background information that is given in the beginning of a story. In "The Luck of Roaring Camp," Bret Harte begins with exposition, which is also referred to as "historical" or...

1 educator answer