In my Literary Analysis, I would like to discuss Luck and
his “influences” on the townspeople of Roaring Camp. I’d also like to discuss
the irony of his name and the hope he had brought, while also expressing how
the hope and luck was just as miraculously taken from them. As a final analysis, I would like to point out some of the things that highlighted the historical
aspects of the time.
In the beginning of the story, we are introduced to an
unfortunate settlement of gambling and fighting men, and one just-as-unfortunate
woman, Cherokee Sal. The woman played no major role in the town and was most
likely a prostitute since she was the only female. Her death in childbirth to
the only child ever born in the area was the supposed change of ill-nature to
the town. The men changed drastically; from being reckless and poor-mannered to
becoming noble gentlemen. The bringing-forth of the child inspired the betterment
of the men in aims to become role-models to the newborn.
The town noticed the improvement that started since his birth,
so they decided to name him Tommy Luck. He was after all, to the people of the
town, a true symbol of Luck. Francis Bret Harte, the author, used this to give
the story an ironic twist. While playing into the theme of hope, Harte had used
Luck as an inspiration for the townsmen. And just as easily and random the miracle
of his birth, was the random act of his death. The flood that brought upon Luck’s
death plays into the theme of nature being harsh and unforgiving, a belief that
the people in the mid-1800s had at the time.
Harte had used a plethora of literary devices to add to the believability
of his tall tale. By telling the story in first-person, he had made his audience
feel as though he was actually there, despite him not being born until about 30
years after the beginning of his story. He uses diction and local colour to represent
how as it was during that time. People used words such as derringers or doubloons
and spoke in unfinished sentences with horrid manners. In terms of historical
significance, the choice of location was a big giveaway factor. It takes place
in what became an important site in the California gold rush and he plays on that
historical significance by story-lining it’s history in his work.
Works Cited:
“The Luck of Roaring Camp.” The Harvard Classics Shelf of Fiction, by Francis Bret Harte, 1917.
Hi April – thank you for sharing your analysis on the Luck of Roaring Camp! I liked how you chose to talk about the irony of the hope that was brought on by the Luck and the fact that they then lost it all. I have to admit that I didn’t foresee the diminishment of the camp when I was reading the story, and I hadn’t considered the irony of the theme until I read your post. In regard to Cherokee Sal, do you think it is possible that she was taken advantage of by the men in the camp (since she was the only woman who lived there), and only made to sound like a prostitute to cover up their own actions? What if she was even impregnated by one of the men in the camp? I suppose there would have been no way for them to know, but that may have left them with a whole different perspective of the Luck.
ReplyDeleteHi April,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the fact that you pointed out how Harte used Luck as a beacon of hope and inspiration and then crushed that hope with Luck’s death in the flood. You did a great job of bringing us back to Roaring Camp and showing the impact that Luck had on the town and more directly on the men of the camp.
Best,
Corine
Hey April,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your literary analysis on The Luck of the Roaring Camp. I enjoyed your thoughts on the irony of Luck's name and the hope he brought to the camp. I like how you pointed out that this child being born changed the attitude of the men in the camp in that they became better because they had to be a good role model for the boy. I think that this is very common, not only in literature, but in life in general. A lot of times, once a man becomes a father or a father figure, he begins to focus more on raising the child in a proper manner and being a good role model rather than living for hisself and his own desires.
I like how you also pointed out that the flood shows how unforgiving nature was back in the 1800's, it was a lot like the feeling that The Outcasts of Poker Flats showed us this week. Do you think that nature being so deadly also made the people of this time period value life less? There was a lot of death at the hand of men during this time period too, and it seems like there was an overall acceptance of death as a normal part of life during this time. I think that harsh weather, lack of medical advancements, and the threat of wildlife attacks all causing death regularly played a big role in people's willingness to end other people's lives without remorse. I think that this was a much harsher time in history in all aspects of life, and I like that you pointed this out in your analysis.
Good job, I look forward to reading more of your work this semester!