In this close reading I would
like to discuss the ending of the ironic tragedy “The Outcasts of Poker Flats,” written by Bret Harte. More specifically, I would like to elaborate on John Oakhurst’s demise and how
it played into the theme of luck as well as evaluate Oakhurst’s changes as a
character and how this all connects to the ultimate irony.
In summary, the ending of
the tale is that of John found dead against a pine. He had shot himself after
pinning a deuce of club cards with his epitaph written upon it. To compare the
character of John Oakhurst we must first point out that his death was one out
of his character. John was described as a confident, almost cocky man, and throughout
the story he had remained a calm composure and accepted his fate from the
start. However, we find that he, in the end, instead of letting nature take his
soul, takes his own. This comes as a shock to the reader as we came to expect
him to be willing to let his fate take over, but he became his own means. He
too pointed out in his own epitaph that “he handed in his own checks” alluding
to his suicide. The narrator also stated that he “was at once the strongest and
yet the weakest of the outcasts” (225). This references the dynamic character changes
from a lucky, proud, and motivated man, to the only one who of the group, made his
own fate and ended his reliance of luck by taking his own life..
Within this ending,
readers are also reintroduced to the theme of luck that is at a constant reference
throughout the story. Upon the tree is the pinned card of his epitaph, and while
the card literally states a “streak of bad luck” we also can say that the card itself
plays as a motif to Oakhurst change of luck in his life as compared to a game
of poker. From a repute gambler with a great streak of wins, he then thinks his
luck is lost, fights fate, and kills himself. This was the ultimate irony.
Works
Cited:
Harte, Bret. “The Outcasts of Poker
Flats.” The Literature of California, edited by Jack Hicks, University of California Press, 2000, pp. 216–225.
I completely agree that this short story was an endless tragedy since the banished group were a somewhat civilized group. I thought the story was a little predicatable since somewhere in the middle of the story there is mention of Oakhurst being lonely and sad. He is like the tragic anti hero who was simply making a living and then is banished for simply playing the only activity that existed during that time. I also like that you used the word irony, because it was a little ironic how he was a winner, but then dies.
ReplyDeleteHi April,
ReplyDeleteI just typed a masterpiece of a comment but it deleted. Anyways, I was saying, maybe the author at first characterized John as one way, then he comes off as another to express how people often misunderstood who he was. A big part of mental health can be how you're perceived by others, and if no one really knows how you are you can feel isolated. I wonder if this is what the author meant when he said "strongest but the weakest outcast." Because he himself was seen as one thing, but what others saw was the opposite. And maybe he decided to kill himself to gain control? He felt like his image was distorted, and that his fate was in "natures" hands. So maybe he wanted to end his life so he knew why, when, and where it would happen.