The Outcast Of Poker Flat Analysis

1179 Words5 Pages

Rough Draft “Every single person on the planet has a story. Don’t judge people before you know them. The truth might surprise you” (#saneman). Today, people seem to have an instant thought about somebody, and instantly know who they are. Many times, somebody that is seen in one way, and is actually a very different person once you get to understand them. In the story The Outcast of Poker Flat, a scenario just like this occurred, and caused the death of seemingly innocent people. In The Outcasts of Poker Flat, Brette Harte creates John Oakhurst to be morally ambiguous to express that one should not judge others at first glance. Brette Harte creates John Oakhurst in The Outcast of Poker Flat to be morally ambiguous. A piece of evidence that supports that Oakhurst has two different interpretations is, “‘Tommy, you’re a good little man, but you can’t gamble worth a cent. Don’t try it over again.’ He then handed him his money back, pushed him gently from the room, and so made a devoted slave of Tom Simson” (Harte 77). In this evidence, Oakhurst actually gives Tom his money back that he has lost when he was gambling. This is a side of Oakhurst that could be considered to be …show more content…

It is always best if you really get to know somebody before you judge them. Things that you might see someone do, might be completely be different than what they actually do on a daily basis. Just like Mr. Oakhurst, that one person that you might be judging, probably has a friendly and caring side that you just won’t give them a chance to show. Ambiguity is in everyone, and people seem to judge on the bad interpretation than the actually bigger and better side that people really have. This story should teach all that reads it a lesson to not take first interpretations serious, and stick around to see the good side that is really