What causes the outcasts to leave Poker Flat?

John Oakhurst: Professional gambler who is forced out of the town of Poker Flat as an undesirable because he wins so much money from the townspeople.

What is the main idea of The Outcasts of Poker Flat?

The Brutality of the Old West While many Western stories have the protagonists battling outlaws, Harte introduces his characters battling the law itself. It is a “change in moral atmosphere” of the townspeople, not bad guys in black hats, that sentence the titular outcasts to death.

What is the main message of The Outcasts of Poker Flat quizlet?

The theme of chance and luck that govern the story.

What are the three main groups of people in The Outcasts of Poker Flat?

1. The outcasts included Mr. John Oakhurst, gambler, the Duchess and Mother Shipton, ladies of ill repute, and Uncle Billy, thief.

Who is the most admirable character in The Outcasts of Poker Flat?

While all of the characters of Bret Harte’s “Outcasts of Poker Flat” easily engage the reader’s sympathy, with the exception of the treacherous Uncle Billy, it’s difficult not to feel that the heroic self-sacrifice of Mother Shipton makes her the most admirable of the group.

Who died in the Outcast of Poker Flat?

Mother Shipton
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.

What explanation does Oakhurst give for Uncle Billy’s disappearance?

Oakhurst can’t bear to tell Piney and Tom that Uncle Billy stole off with the mules, so he instead tells them that Uncle Billy left in search of more provisions, and that he must have accidentally spooked the animals and made them stampede.

What happens to Oakhurst at the end of the story?

Oakhurst take in the last part of the story? Piney and Duchess frozen to death. Mr. Oakhurst shot himself.

Why was Oakhurst an outcast?

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.

What kind of character is John Oakhurst?

John Oakhurst is the strong, silent type, always unruffled in times of trouble. So when he is exiled to the next town over—forced to make the dangerous journey through the mountains to get there—he barely even blinks.

Who are the four outcasts in The Outcasts of Poker Flat?

These four characters are John Oakhurst, a shady gambler whose success at fleecing the townspeople made him very unpopular; the Duchess and Mother Shipton, a pair of prostitutes; and Uncle Billy, a thief and drunkard.

Who is the most admirable character in the Outcast of Poker Flat?

What happened at the end of the Outcasts of Poker Flat?

Although Oakhurst says he’ll accompany Tom only as far as the canyon, he doesn’t return to camp. The Duchess and Piney cling to one another for warmth, but eventually fall asleep and die of exposure.

Who is the innocent in the Outcasts of Poker Flat?

Tom Simson
Nicknamed “The Innocent,” Tom is Piney’s fiancé and an acquaintance of Oakhurst’s. He is a young man from the next town over—Sandy Bar, where the outcasts are headed—and is making the journey to Poker Flat to elope with Piney and begin a new life.

What does Mother Shipton do?

Mother Shipton is England’s most famous Prophetess. She foretold the fates of several rulers within and just after her lifetime, as well as the invention of iron ships, the Great Fire of London in 1666, and the defeat of the Spanish Armada. As well as making traditional remedies, Mother Shipton had another gift.

Who are the main characters in the Outcast of Poker Flat?

The Outcasts of Poker Flat Characters

• John Oakhurst.
• Uncle Billy.
• The Duchess.
• Mother Shipton.
• Tom Simson.
• Piney Woods.
• Jim Wheeler.