The Outcasts of Poker Flat

The story takes place over the course of two weeks in 1850, during the pinnacle of the California Gold Rush. Research this period and discuss how it began, the types of people who traveled west to participate in it, and what events and circumstances ended it. How realistically are Poker Flat and its inhabitants portrayed in the story?

The narration offers limited descriptions of the characters’ thoughts. Cite passages from the story in which the narration is broken and becomes first-person. Why do you think Harte chooses to do this? What effect does this have on the story?

Oakhurst urges the other outcasts on several occasions to continue the journey to Sandy Bar. Why do you think Oakhurst refuses to leave the group, even though he knows that staying with them will endanger his life? Does his staunchness offer any insight to his decision at the end of the story?

Some critics claim that “even the best of [Harte’s] stories are overly sentimental” (“Bret Harte 1836-1902.” Anthology of American Literature Volume II: Realism to the Present. 7th ed., edited by Leah Jewell, Prentice-Hall, 2000, p. 191). Cite three examples from the text to support or refute this claim.

Tom’s humorous retelling of the Iliad causes Oakhurst to listen closely to the story of the Greek legend Achilles. Research Achilles and write an essay exploring at least three ways in which Achilles and Oakhurst are similar.

Choose one of the following characters: the Duchess, Mother Shipton, or Uncle Billy. Rewrite the story from this character’s point of view. Stay consistent with the story’s plot, setting, and dialect; however, make sure to include the character’s thoughts, observations of other characters, as well as internal and external conflicts.

After Uncle Billy steals the mules, Oakhurst is the first person to make the discovery. Why do you think he does not awaken the other outcasts immediately? Why does he not say anything until dawn, after several hours have passed? What does Oakhurst reveal about himself in this scene?

Oakhurst also appears in Harte’s earlier story “The Luck of Roaring Camp” (1868), a narrative that likewise centers on ideas of fate, fortune, and morality. Read that story and compare its portrayal of Oakhurst to the one in “Outcasts of Poker Flat.” Explore how the character’s earlier portrayal either changes or reinforces his character analysis in the later story.