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Summary Of The Outcasts Of Poker Flat

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In the short story, “The Outcasts of Poker Flat,” by Bret Hart, a slew of misfits (a group of four misfits) find themselves in a life or death struggle after they are cast out of their settlement and are forced to brave the elements. The definition of an outcast is a person who has been rejected by society or a social group. The reader learns that the outcasts are run out of town because they are perceived to be improper persons. The four outcasts that make up this group are each run out of town for different reason, each reason to the townspeople deplorable. John Oakhurst is a gambler that most of the town has lost their money to; Mother Shipton and The Duchess are both prostitutes and Uncle Billy is a robber and drunkard. The short story, although very confusing at times, shows a range of what is bad and good about the human …show more content…

The story, “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” shows the hypocrisy in Poker Flat, how judging outward appearances does not necessarily show the true worth, that there is goodness in everyone, even the ones that society deems bad, and how nature conspire against the outcasts.
The citizens of Poker Flat run the outcasts out of town because the town was trying to get rid of the undesirables and the morally corrupt in town. By that time, Oakhurst and his companions are run out of town; the townspeople had already hung two men. Oakhurst and the prostitutes serve as scapegoats for the shared guilt of a community that is trying to look respectable but the sole purpose of the town is to mine for gold. The outcasts are run out of town because they are not observed as being reputable as the other citizens. The only reason that the outcasts, called the “deported wickedness” (Hart 2), are saved is that the town people who won money from Oakhurst took mercy upon them. A gambler, a drunkard, a madam and a prostitute are banished because Poker Flat is a God-fearing, Christian town and cannot tolerate such people. There are

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