The Outcasts Of Poker Flat Conflict Essay

In contrast to romanticism, realism writings of the 1800s showed society as it really was. Two authors, Brett Harte who wrote “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” and Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” both expressed the idea that people need people. These authors relayed this societal message through external and internal conflict.

The societal message that people need people was expressed through external conflict in Brett Harte’s “The Outcasts of Poker Flat”. The external conflict was expressed by how in the beginning of the story Mr. Oakhurst, the Duchess, Mother Shipton, and Uncle Billy were basically kicked out of Poker Flat and during the time of being kicked out of town they ended up meeting Piney, Tom, and the Innocent. Towards the end they all ended up in the mountains in what seemed to be winter in an old ruined cabin with low provisions because most of their provisions were stolen by Uncle Billy.

The internal conflict was expressed more so in the midst of the story when the main character started his hike up to camp to find the boys and he realized it was a lot colder than he thought. During this time he remembered the old man from Sulphur Creek who told him about the weather previously before and that he shouldn’t go alone. The internal conflict came at an climax when the man realized he could freeze to death since he was not able to start a fire and his method of beating his hands to spark a feeling of sensation didn’t work. He was at anger with himself when he realized he was at fault with this predicament he was in, and coming to an end he accept his fate of death and died lying in the snow. This story relates to the societal message that people need people, if the main character would have just had someone with him he could of survived and would’ve made it back to camp, but he decided to go alone and being alone is what ended his