1. The Outcasts Of Poker Flat Summary Sparknotes
2. A Mystery Of Heroism Summary Story
3. The Outcasts Of Poker Flat Summary Sparknotes

CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Now, an American story from the Voice of America. We present “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” by Bret Harte. Here is Jim Tedder.

JIM TEDDER: John Oakhurst was a gambler. He had lived in the small western town of Poker Flat for only a short time. He had defeated many people at cards. He had also won a lot of their money. For that reason alone, he was not well liked.

The outcasts of poker flat short summary The three main types of games that you will have to choose between are multiplier, multi-line and progressive slot games.In addition to these bets, some casinos and some roulette types allow you to bet on a track called announced or call bets. Outcasts of poker flat short summary Less than two months ago. 'The Outcasts of Poker Flat' is a short story by Bret Harte about a western town that has banished a group of improper people. Local color is first shown in the beginning of the story when Harte talks about the people that will be banished later on in the story. Harte described the characters using familiar western types. Trio, 'Wings of a Dove,' from The Outcasts of Poker Flat. Opera in one act based on Bret Harte's short story Music and libretto by Andrew Earle Simpson Emily Casey, soprano (Cassie) Katie Bransford, soprano (Piney) Christa Nuno, mezzo-soprano (Lori) David Bond, conductor James Hampton, director Catholic University Opera Theater, November 2016. 'The Outcasts of Poker Flat' is set near a California mining community during November of 1850. Experimenting with the effectiveness of vigilante justice, the residents of Poker Flat hope to improve the town by expelling a group of undesirables.

On the morning of November twenty-third, eighteen fifty, he saw some men talking as he walked down the main street of town. As he came near, they got quiet. He said to himself, “Hmmm, I guess they are talking about me. And that can’t be good.” Oakhurst was right. Some of the town’s leaders had met secretly and decided to force some people to leave. They thought Poker Flat would be a better place to live if those people were gone.

Besides Oakhurst, two women of low morals were led to the edge of town. They were the “Duchess” as she was called, and “Mother Shipton.” A man called “Uncle Billy” was added to the group. He was known to drink too much. Some people thought that he had also stolen some gold. They had no proof. But that did not matter. Uncle Billy was just no good, and he had to go. The “outcasts” were told that if they ever came back, they would be killed.

So, the four of them slowly rode out of town. The “Duchess” cried and said she would probably die on the road. Mother Shipton and Uncle Billy cursed. “Mother” said she would like to “cut the heart out” of the people who done this to them. But John Oakhurst rode in silence. He thought all of life was a gamble. He had just run into some bad luck. That was all.

The outcasts were headed for Sandy Bar, a camp not too far away. But it was high up in the cold Sierra Mountains, and the path was anything but smooth. Around noon, Mother Shipton became so tired she fell off her horse. She said that was as far as she was going today. Oakhurst tried to make them move on because they had no food or fuel. But the three would not listen. Instead they began to drink alcohol that Uncle Billy had hidden. Soon they were quiet and asleep.

Oakhurst did not drink. He stood nearby and watched them. He began to think about his life and about how lonely he was. Yet he was stronger than his three companions. He could have left them there and set off alone. But he did not.

Then, he heard someone call “John Oakhurst.” A young man named Tom Simson came riding up. The gambler knew Tom. They had once played cards and Oakhurst had won. But after the game, he told young Tom that he was too easy to beat. And he gave him back his money. Tom said Oakhurst would be his friend for life.

The Outcasts Of Poker Flat Summary Sparknotes

Tom was not alone. From behind a tree came his new wife, a girl named Piney Woods. Her father had not wanted her to marry Tom. So they had run away. Tom told Oakhurst that he had a little food. He also showed him an old log house just off the path. Years of harsh weather had nearly ruined it. But it was all they had, and it would have to do. The women could spend the night in there. The men would make a fire and sleep on the ground by the door.

The night seemed to pass quickly. But the weather became colder. The wind increased, and it began to snow. Oakhurst had a bad feeling. He turned to where Uncle Billy had slept, and found him gone. He had left the others and even taken their horses. Oakhurst said Uncle Billy had probably gone for help. But he knew better. The group of five decided to wait for the snow to stop before traveling farther. They no longer had horses. From here on, they would be on foot.

By the third day out from Poker Flat, the snow had gotten deep. They could no longer see the path. Food was running low. Everything around them was white and cold. One week later they still had not moved. The snow had continued to fall and was deeper than ever. And it continued to fall. It formed a prison they could not escape. Still, they could see smoke rising from the warm fires in the houses down below in Poker Flat. The site seemed especially cruel.

But the little group of outcasts tried to keep up their spirits. They tried to stay as warm as they could. They sat together by their own open-air fire. And Tom Simson pulled a small accordion from his pack. Piney Woods played the instrument. They all sang songs. The music took on a defiant quality, a quality of resistance. But the outcasts had to listen to the sad cries of their mostly empty stomachs. The hunger got worse with each passing day.

At midnight on the tenth day, Mother Shipton called Oakhurst to her side. She said, “Give this to the young ones.” In a bag was all her food. She had not eaten for days. She had saved the food for the others. She turned quietly to the wall of the log house, and died.

John Oakhurst began to think that none of them would live out the storm. He gave Tom Simson a pair of snowshoes and asked him to try to walk back to Poker Flat for help. He guessed it would take Tom at least two days, if not more, to get there. Tom kissed his new bride and left on foot. Soon he was out of sight. The Duchess and Piney were surprised, and frightened, when Oakhurst also turned to leave. “You’re not going, too,” they cried. He said, “Only a little way. I need to find us some help.”

At that time of year, daylight did not last long. When night came, Oakhurst had not returned. The two women were too hungry, weak, and cold to even add more wood to the fire. They passed the stormy night holding each other close. And that is the way they were found the next morning when help arrived from Poker Flat. They had frozen to death during the night.

The rescuers from town said that they had been right to force the outcasts to leave Poker Flat. But they never thought the punishment would end up like this. Justice was one thing, but freezing people to death was not their aim. And then they thought of the gambler. Where was he? What had happened to him? They searched as best they could. And then, they found him.

Under a tall tree a playing card was stuck into the wood by a knife. On the card was written: “Beneath this tree lies the body of John Oakhurst, who had some bad luck starting the twenty-third of November, eighteen fifty. He handed in his cards on the seventh of December, the same year.”

Oakhurst sat there, cold and still. They said he looked peaceful. A single bullet from a small hand gun nearby had ended his life. John Oakhurst had been both the strongest, and the weakest, of the outcasts of Poker Flat.

(MUSIC)

CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: You have been listening to an American story on the Voice of America. “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” by Bret Harte was adapted for Special English and read by Jim Tedder.

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From the beginning moments in the story of The Outcasts of Poker Flat, starting when there is talk in the town of Poker Flat about plans to rid the community of improper persons gambling main character, John Oakhurst, contained himself and remained cool and collected about the situation he was becoming aware of. Bret Harte’s use of voice portrays a calming effect for the reader that lessens the dramatic upsets of the situations in the story being told. The town of Poker Flat was determined to get rid of a specific four characters who were cause for trouble and harm to the community, the expert gambler John Oakhurst, a prostitute referred to as “The Duchess”, the owner of a brothel whom they called “Mother Shipton”, and a suspected thief and drunk “Uncle Billy”. Throughout the story multiple situations arise among the characters that are cause for distress and concern, but the voice Harte uses to tell the story reduces the concern of the readers.

Once the outcasts are escorted out of town and heading to the next town, Sandy Bar, John Oakhurst had already began to realize that their journey was going to be long and difficult with four of them traveling. When The Duchess halted their travels demanding that they stop and set up camp for the evening, Mr. Oakhurst calmly informed his fellow travelers that it was not in their best interest to stop traveling so early. As readers, knowing that he has some concern of the situation taking place, we are thrown off by his patience and consideration for the rest of his party. If the narrator would have described his concern with more aggression and emotion we would probably gain even more concern for the situation the characters are encountering.

After Mr. Oakhurst and his party stop to set up camp for the night Tom Simson, who was named “The Innocent” from Sandy Bar, and his fifteen-year-old lover Piney Woods, came upon them. All of the traveling characters were to sleep at the established camp and continue on their own ways in the morning. The narrator describes that Mr. Oakhurst is a light sleeper, and that he awoke cold to freshly fallen snow. Mr. Oakhurst’s immediate reaction is worrisome, but because of Harte’s language in paragraph 18, using “He started to his feet…” instead of a description of promptness, his reaction is immediately down-played and the readers concern depreciates. Immediately after we get a short glimpse of the worry in Mr. Oakhurst, the next paragraph offers to us, “The momentary excitement brought Mr. Oakhurst back to the fire with his usual calm.” Harte immediately tears the negative emotion from the text and continues on. Even though Mr. Oakhurst knows that Uncle Billy left the camp and was never coming back, he kept the truth to himself as to not upset the others.

The calm and collected personality is not only present in Mr. Oakhurst but also in other characters as well, Tom Simson is also portrayed as keeping calm. Once they have all noticed the snow, and that it was not going to stop, Tom thinks positively and has a basic plan developed, they stay and camp a week and then continue traveling once the snow melts. Tom doesn’t lead on that he is worried in any way, or concerned about their lives, he knows they will make it out. The rest of the party even hides their concern and worry, and make entertainment for themselves by singing and conversing around the fire. Whether the singing and talking is to cover up their concern, or to take their mind of their concern, Harte tells the story in a certain way so that the reader won’t worry so much.

A Mystery Of Heroism Summary Story

Once the characters had been at camp a week, come and gone, the snow had still not subsided but had grown closer around them and towered high above them. Harte diffuses the concern during this situation by reinstating Mr. Oakhurst’s calm and collected personality, in paragraph 26 he writes “Mr. Oakhurst settled himself coolly to the losing game before him.” Even then, Mr. Oakhurst is remaining calm and accepting the fate that has been drawn upon him and the others.

Mother Shipton is another character who does not lead on that she is scared or worried in any way throughout the story. Harte doesn’t introduce Mother Shipton for awhile, but when he does she carries a very mellow, carefree personality. Towards the end of the story she became very sick very fast and in paragraph 26 told Mr. Oakhurst, “I’m going…but don’t say anything about it…” even then Harte uses a voice with short description and choice of words that does not directly mention death or dying, which minimizes our concern for Mother Shipton. She has starved herself and left her portion of the food for Tom’s lover, Piney, this shows us that she was very aware that she would not survive the journey once the snow came and she secretly held her distress inside.

The Outcasts Of Poker Flat Summary Sparknotes

Being stranded, entrapment, starvation and death are very serious circumstances, but throughout The Outcasts of Poker Flat we, as readers, are not made to feel the concern and upsets that the characters are feeling inside. Even though many of the harmful situations in the story are those that could be dramatized and could deeply envelop the reader, Harte used distinctive word choices and a passive voice through the tense situations in the story help to keep a cool, composed tone throughout.