ipl-logo

Iron In Bret Harte's 'Outcasts Of Poker Flat'

1259 Words6 Pages

If America, as a whole, took a survey about what the population thought was the most well written literary genre of our history, what would they choose? Would America choose science fiction, fantasy, nonfiction, or perhaps a romance as the best novel type of novel. Most likely, the book that would win the day is books about local color, a realistic look at other people’s daily walk in life. Ever since Mark Twain came on the scene, Americans love the look, the dialogue, and thought process of people in another walk of life. Bret Harte, a man of all trades, who moved to California to work in a mine, published a short story in 1869 called “Outcasts of Poker Flat.” This short story involves the local criminal color of 19th century California, while also showing the consequences of human nature. Although this story involves the local color that everyone loves, it contains a grim humor developed by mounting tension and irony. …show more content…

Harte sets up his short stories humor in a unique way, by introducing information, and then making the information ironical, using the three types of irony, while increasing the tension concerning the fate of the characters. First, the reader is introduced to one Mr. John Oakhurst, a gambler, who resides in a city named Poker Flat. However, Mr. Oakhurst notices that the people of Poker Flat are getting frustrated with the less than respectable citizens due to some recent robberies and a possible murder. So, in response to the crimes, Poker Flat’s residents banish the known criminals in town, including John Oakhurst. Verbal Irony is the first type that is used, and it is humorous that a town named Poker Flat would banish, with the threat of death should he return, the town’s best Poker

Show More
Related

  • Comparing The Notorious Jumping Frog Of Calaveras County By Edward Arlington Robinson

    1282 Words  | 6 Pages

    In the stories “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” by Mark Twain, and “Richard Cory” by Edward Arlington Robinson, characteristics of realism are shown throughout the readings. The authors include realism to connect to the reader better. Although there are many characteristics of realism, there are a few that stand out while reading the pieces of literature. In Twain’s and Robinson’s writings, diction, local color, and social class are used as a connection tool between the author and the reader. First, diction is used in both of these stories. Diction provides a sense of culture and regionalism.

    Read More

  • Situational Irony In Mrs. Abbott's Invitation To A Murder

    744 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Invitation to a Murder” Irony Essay “Invitation to a Murder”, a short story written by Josh Pachter, includes several evident examples of situational irony within the text. The contemporary tale takes place in Mrs. Eleanor Abbott’s home in New York City, where she summoned twelve detectives and law enforcers to witness the killing of her husband, Gregory Abbott. In the particular room of Mrs. Abbott’s house, a table sat with a collection of weapons resting upon its surface. Among these weapons was an amber-colored bottle with a skull and crossbones design printed on it. The twelve gentlemen invited to stay as spectators reasonably assumed the symbol indicated there was poison inside the bottle.

    Read More

  • The Yellow Wallpaper 'And Sonny's Blues'

    535 Words  | 3 Pages

    Out of so many characteristics, a relevant background adds the depth of a good story. Without the male-dominated society, the escape from the yellow wallpaper may be plainly viewed by readers as insanity. Analogously, readers must know that in a time before the Civil Movement, discrimination against the black is still a lifetime threat, that is why a depicted neighbourhood of poor and decadent would not seem odd at the

    Read More

  • Situational Irony In The Tell Tale Heart

    250 Words  | 1 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe creates horror and suspense in his use of irony -including verbal irony, situational irony, and dramatic irony-in his short story “ The Tell-Tale Heart”. Verbal irony is when something that is said means the opposite of what is meant. Poe uses verbal irony when he states, “ I loved the old man.” Situational irony is similar. It is defined as when what happens is different from or even the opposite of what we expected.

    Read More

  • The Outcasts Of Poker Flat Summary

    242 Words  | 1 Pages

    “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” by Bret Harte is an example of local color regionalism. This story focuses on the characters, dialect, customs of Poker Flat’s outcasts. Also, this story glorifies the small town of Poker Flats. The story focuses on 6 characters, John Oakhurst (the gambler), the Duchess (prostitute) , Mother Shipton (prostitute), Uncle Billy (town drunk), Tom Simson, and Piney Woods (run aways). All of the characters are expected to come from the Wild West.

    Read More

  • Irony In The Tell-Tale Heart And The Lottery

    471 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dramatic irony is usually an over the top, tragic form of irony. Both Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” are great examples of an ironic situation. Every expresses the common theme in their own way. Although both of these literally pieces provide us with the theme of irony, Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" gives the reader a sense of suspense with the irony that proves to be more effective. Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" emphasizes on how a man’s thoughts and perception can affect oneself and other’s lives.

    Read More

  • Glory Be By Augusta Scattergood: Book Summary

    639 Words  | 3 Pages

    In this book Glory is overwhelmed with how her town is handling people who are different than they are. She realizes that her favorite local pool is closing down so colored people can’t swim with the whites. Glory becomes an activist herself and writes a letter to the newspaper lining which makes her preacher father proud. Therefore, the theme of this book is to treat everyone equally, such as when Glory’s friend Frankie from Ohio drinks out of the “colored fountain”. Also, when Glory’s sisters boyfriend that he was arrested for sitting with a “colored friend” at the white table.

    Read More

  • Irony In The Cask Of Amontillado

    1121 Words  | 5 Pages

    Any fan of the medieval and Victorian eras knows that there are many stories centered around the rectification of lost or sullied honor through varying means of revenge. Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” is no exception. The story’s protagonist, Montresor, feels that his friend, Fortunato, has insulted his family’s honor and decides to take revenge during a nighttime carnival by luring Fortunato into the Montresor family crypt and sealing him inside to die a slow death. Through the use of irony and symbolism, Poe reveals to readers an intense theme of revenge. Poe’s theme of revenge is illuminated through his application of the three different types of irony: dramatic, verbal, and situational.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Irony In The Rocking Horse Winner

    1111 Words  | 5 Pages

    As an author who has the sense of social responsibility, D.H.Lawrence never stops thinking about human society and he continues offering criticism about capitalist industrial civilization, which destroys interpersonal relationship. The Rocking-Horse Winner also describes the same topic that capitalist industrial civilization distorts the human relations. To better emphasis this topic, the author uses irony to make this short story more impressive. Irony can be divided into three kinds: verbal irony, circumstantial irony and dramatic irony. All these types can find the corresponding plots in this short story and I would like to analyze irony in the story from three parts.

    Read More

  • Southland By Nina Revoyr: Novel Analysis

    1201 Words  | 5 Pages

    The award winning novel Southland, by Nina Revoyr, clearly describes life in Southern California during the mid 1900’s. In this novel, Revoyr distinctly outlines the controversy between love, race, and murder. The apparent issues in Southland begin to show themselves through the narrative set in Los Angeles. Revoyr was born in Japan and moved to Los Angeles when she was very young. Born a white American, Revoyr was racially excluded by the white children and had a hard time fitting in.

    Read More

  • Realism In Bret Harte's The Outcasts Of Poker Flat

    763 Words  | 4 Pages

    Realism is literature that represents actual life, the author Bret Harte tries to stay as close to the truth as possible when writing. Authors like him write truthfully and objectively about ordinary characters and their ordinary situations. In Harte’s “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” he represents realism through archetypes and local colour. The short story is set in 1850 in a California mining town during the Gold Rush.

    Read More

  • The Cask Of Amontillado Verbal Irony Analysis

    600 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Ironic Truth Irony is a complex and important element of literature that can help discover hidden perspectives within characters or hide the truth in plain sight. The story by Edgar Allen Poe, “The Cask of Amontillado” is a great example the dark ironic twist that happen in the story. The main character, Montresor, is hell-bent on getting his revenge on the man who shamed him, Fortunato. The verbal and dramatic irony that is being used in the story “The Cask of Amontillado” helps hide the true intentions that Montresor has planned for Fortunato. Verbal irony happens when one character says one thing but actually means something completely different.

    Read More

  • Trifles Gender Roles

    823 Words  | 4 Pages

    This irony occurs when the audience understands a concept or situation that the characters do not. Written in the 1900’s, “Trifles” deals with the rights of women and the assumptions about women in society at that time. Throughout the play, the Court Attorney, the Sheriff, and Mr. Hale are so deep into the fact that the women are focusing on the little things, such as the trifles. In reality, the men are the ones focusing on the little things, such as the bad housekeeping. “Dirty towels!

    Read More

  • Cujo By Stephen King: A Literary Analysis

    1997 Words  | 8 Pages

    American literature, both fiction and non-fiction, is important for today’s modern student because it provides a frame of reference for the world we live in now and where we came from. Depending on the genre and the time period in which the story takes place, American literature helps us to understand the history of our country and the lives and lifestyle of the people who have lived in America. It often helps us to understand different cultural aspects that have influenced America, depending on the backgrounds of the characters. It also helps us to understand different geographic regions of the country and how life may be different for people depending on where they live. Stephen King’s book “Cujo” provides us with a view and perspective

    Read More

  • The Cop And The Anthem Soapy Analysis

    1203 Words  | 5 Pages

    A story with an ironic, mocking tone such as this one, in which a bum who talks like a gentleman despicably tries to get himself thrown into jail but continually fails, can only end one way. As can be seen, the basic irony of this story is that as long as Soapy is “free”, that is, loose in the city, he is not free at all, because of the coming winter. If he were in prison, however, he would indeed be “free” to enjoy life without fear. And he just cannot seem to have fate go his way. Every time he tries to get a policeman’s attention, there is some sort of excuse or backfire that gets thrown at

    Read More

More about Iron In Bret Harte's 'Outcasts Of Poker Flat'

Open Document