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Bret harte outcast of poker flat
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Many people have a goodness inside of them, even if it may not show all of the time. Three of the main characters in Bret Harte’s story, “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” had a hidden goodness, because they each showed that they weren’t what they were made out to be. The main character, John Oakhurst, was a good man throughout the story. In the beginning, Mr. Oakhurst also gave Duchess his horse to ride on since she only had a donkey, and it was uncomfortable on the journey for her, as shown in paragraph 7, ‘he insisted upon exchanging his own riding horse, "Five Spot," for the sorry mule which the Duchess rode.’ One of the main reasons we know he has hidden goodness is that he stayed with all of the women when he could’ve left them like Uncle
In “The Outcasts of Poker Flat,” by Bret Harte, his portrayal of the “outcasts” in the story contradict with their stereotypes. This is seen with all four outsiders, but specifically with the gambler, Mr. Oakhurst. When thinking of a gambler, the words selfish, careless, unreliable, and irresponsible come to mind. However, Bret Harte contrasts with this stereotype by making Mr. Oakhurst a good hearted person. For example, when the Duchess declared she could go no farther, the gambler never once “thought of deserting his weaker and more pitiable companions.”
Bret Harte's "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" is an excellent example of realism. Harte uses realistic characters that use everyday language with a hint of local color from California, which is where the story is set. The characters are put through real situations and faced with troubles that we go through day to day. Bret Harte lived through the California gold rush and was able to create a very realistic setting and characters. Since he actually experienced the culture and people of this time the words create a very detailed picture, and the characters come to life in your
The public when the women first came out writing stories they had no clue what to think about their writings. It wasn’t like the traditional men writing where it kept the reader on the edge of their seats and being entertained. The women wrote more of a darker kind of story to where some people would call it a horror story, it was the first time that women had a voice. Women often talked about one thing and it was freedom, they always feel like they have been trapped. Also men wanted to inform and they had a lot of humor in their stories, where the women did not. Female authors had a much darker, melancholy storyline to their writing, while male authors wrote primarily to entertain their readers.
At first glance Chris McCandless appears to possess charismatic and endearing traits of one socially connected with society. As Chris traveled around the country, everyone that met him instantly fell in love with his kind heart and charming personality. He made “an indelible impression on a number of people during the course of his hegira” while only being in thei...
John is a loving husband. He proves that by telling Elizabeth, “It is well seasoned” (p. 48) in reference to the rabbit she cooked, in which he had to add salt to. He likes to make her happy, which shows he loves her, and so he asks, “Would that please you?” (p.48) He is asking in reference to buying a heifer for her if the crops are good. He assures her he will “fall like an ocean on that court” by which he shows his love in caring for her freedom (p.73). To the court he admits he has “known her” he is talking about Abigail and their affair (p.102). He is showing his love towards his wife by throwing away his freedom, life, honor, dignity, and pride to prove Elizabeth’s innocence and have her freedom. He tells Elizabeth to “show honor now” as he is to be hanged in the gallows (p. 133). He is showing his love for her by letting her know he cares about her enough to want her to be strong even though he is to die.
With one another’s help, they are able to prevent their husbands from havoc and disaster, and likewise keep their own lives happy. The faults in the Insatiate Countess are attributed to her insatiability, which comes from over-investing in men and devaluing friendship. Were she to follow the paths of Abigail and Thais, she would not only have someone to channel her energy into, but also have someone to talk her out of revenge, which would then prevent her from both orchestrating murder and being hanged herself. If we can learn from both the comedic and tragic plots, let us first understand them to have the same message: to observe a moderate one’s investment in one’s lover, a greater investment in one’s friends, and, when balanced by friendship, an utmost investment in oneself.
...rn home. Each story plays on the roles of people during the time that they are told. The stories range like the characters traveling do. One story sticks out in particular when it comes to the relationship between men and women during the time of Chaucer. This story is told by the character of Allison whom tells the story of the wife of bath. The story and prologue look at the life of Allison and her views of how relationships between man and wife should be. She believed that women should be the head of the relationship and that men should be submissive to them. This reflects in her story in many ways. Her views on how relationships should be was different than the one that would be normal for the time period in which Chaucer lived
The submissive unnamed protagonist and narrator acts as an enabler to her patriarchal surroundings. Gilman clarifies on the first page the narrator's feminist disinclination, "John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage." This defines the woman's attitude towards her position in her marriage and society. The woman's defeatism also works to 'put her in her place' in the patriarchal society. After briefly explaining that her husband does not believe s...
What does this fantastic story tell us about the knight's character and beliefs? This tale gives us insight into the Knight's sense of romance, passion, courage, loyalty and justice or fortune. Firstly, it shows us his ideal of one true, romantic love. He is virtuous and passionate, especially in his love-life. There was only one woman to be ...
The magistrate that sits in your heart judges you.” This is where Elizabeth suspects that John has committed adultery, but knows how good of man he is and tries to look over it. “Adultery, John.” This is where John tells her and she makes it sound like it is news to her even though she has known for awhile. She is trying to have John have a “good” name and not be a name that everyone discards. “No, sir.” Here she is protecting his name but she doesn’t know that John has just came out and said that he committed lechery. She thought that she was saving him but she was actually making it worse for him.“I mean to crush him utterly if he has shown his face.” Here he is talking about if he ever encountered the Devil that he would literally kick his ass.
Oakhurst is the protagonist of the story who is exiled from the community for taking towns money using gambling. The Duchess is another person who exiled for being a prostitute. However she shows her better side later on in the story.
In the Outcasts of Poker-Flat the death of a group of renegades expelled from the diligent village is depicted. Bret Harte tries to show that these "dubious personalities" are ultimately victims of social evil. In everyday life they were showing weakness and instability, but dormant moral forces awoke in them in exceptional circumstances in the face of death. They showed courage, a sense of human friendship and solidarity.
Her stepsisters were bitter and always mean. They treated her as if she had a plague and jeered her constantly. You could sense how bad they treated her, they kept her looking sloven. The tone in the end was pure happiness.The setting of the story took place in Ashputtle's house and the royal ball. Her house was a dovecote like it states “the strange girl had slipped into the dovecote”. We know it was a royal ball because in the beginning the story tells us “Now it so happen that the King arranged for a celebration it was to go o for three days and all the beautiful girls in the kingdom were invited, in order that his son might choose a bride.” There was also her mothers grave, but it does not clearly explain where that is. However we know its close and she goes every day. The purpose is what authors hoping to accomplish of communicate in writing the story. The purpose of this story is to teach people to be beautiful on the inside you can be stunning but with a uglyheart, and karma will find you in the end. Keeping positive and praying will keep your soul pure and sweet. Which is why he fell for her in the end. The theme is a general
Since society dictates that women are weak and irrational, John sees the narrator that way and misinterprets her illness. Also, by examining the authoritative way John treats the narrator, the readers obtain a better understanding of their relationship as husband and wife. In their marriage, John makes decisions on the narrator’s behalf while she is expected to be submissive. Society’s representation of women is so ingrained in John’s mind that he fails to see his wife as his equal, but instead as a weaker counterpart who is in need of a man’s wisdom and counsel. John’s narrow-minded thinking affects the narrator by giving her feelings of defeat and powerlessness. Their relationship parallels the roles that men and women play in marriage when the story was written. John’s decision to stick to his prejudiced thinking and to treat the narrator using this ‘rest cure’ leads to the narrator experiencing an intense feeling of isolation, and this isolation caused her mental decline. Her damaged mental state is evident when she says, “All those strangled heads and bulbous eyes and waddling fungus growths shriek with derision!”
It has been said that ‘Comedy, beginning in turmoil but ending in harmony, celebrates life.’ and this is the general idea with ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ Wilde proves that this comedy of manners does conform to this model. As Lady Bracknell tries to prolong the resolution and tries to prevent the marriage between Jack and Gwendolyn, she can be seen as a ‘gorgon’ because she refuses to let Gwendolyn marry Jack. Despite this, She may be seen as a heroine because she is a strong, commanding woman who isn’t passive like traditional Victorian women as she makes decisions which indicates that she has power within the play. Furthermore, Wilde has constructed her in such a way that she dominates the company wherever she is present and judges people according to their wealth even though she is from a non-aristocratic background. Therefore, Lady Bracknell may be viewed as a character that stays ‘bad’. Despite the obstacles surrounding Lady Bracknell, there are some aspects throughout the play which do conform to this model. For instance, Jack faces problems during the play which are then resolved through his actions and are consequently followed by happiness in the resolution when he finds out ‘the vital Importance of Being Earnest’ . Similarly, the same can be said for Algernon who lies to please the women that he desires to achieve happiness in Act 3. Therefore, depending on each character and their actions beforehand, they either face happiness or distress which indicates that comedy does have some elements of movement from distress to happiness and from ‘bad’ to ‘good’.