Friday, February 5, 2010
Outcast of Poker Flat
The Outcast of Poker Flat by Bret Harte is a story of 4 citizens of Poker Flat that are recognized as a threat to the town. Each of the outcast have a different reason why they have been thrown out of town. The main character Mr John Oakhurst is a big time gambler that wins most of the towns peoples money. The reason for his exile from time was mainly that the town had lost several thousand dollars of money and the towns people thought it best he were one of the people to go. Mr Oakhurst was or seemed to be the strongest individual of the group at the beginning of the story. When the group was exiled he said nothing and showed no emotion while the other members were crying, cursing, and hollering. Mr Oakhurst was calm and collective he had his mind set on the journey to Sandy Bar the next town. He knew that the group was not equipped for delay. Mr Oakhurst was strong in the story until the end. In the end of the story he left the shack back to Poker Flat and was found with a bullet in his heart. Mr Oakhurst took the easy way out and shot himself. He took the cowardly way of doing things. It all turned out that in actuality he was the weakest of the group. He did not fight it out to the end he just gave up.
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Cadet Roach gives a really good and complete summary of the story. She brings the main points the plot conflict and the conclusion she even mention the main characters and gave us a description on what was their main role or conflict during the whole story. I had the opportunity to read this story and I really enjoyed it. I agree with miss Roach when she says her comments about Mr. Oakhurts on how at the beginning of the story we see a really strong and willing person and even as the figure of a father to the other outcast crew but how at the end he just decide to kill himself and take the easy way out.
ReplyDeleteWow, this is a very strong point that Cadet Roach makes, Mr. Oakhurst does seem like the strong leader in the beginning and that is a parallel with his name. An oak tree is a very strong, sturdy tree that can withstand many tests of time, but in the end Mr. Oakhurst crumbles under the pressure and emotion, unlike a strong oak. Cadets Roach has a very good interpretation here and it was an interesting point that I did not realize while reading the story, but I now see exactly what she is talking about.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading her blog, she deffinitly made the story more clear on the evens that took place. And Cadet Roach saying that Mr. Oakhurst was more the leader of the pack and then saying how he proved he wasn't because in the end he shot himself, made me look at the story a different way. I never even thought of Mr. Oakhurst that way but I think she is right in saying that. His hard work of trying to keep everything together wasn't worth anything because in the end he ended everything.
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