"The Outcasts of Poker Flat" is a short story by Bret Harte about a western town that has banished a
group of improper people. Local color is first shown in the beginning of the story when Harte talks about the
people that will be banished later on in the story. Harte described the characters using familiar western types.
The Duchess, a prostitute, another who had won the title of Mother Shipton, a witch, and Uncle Billy a suspected
sluice robber and confirmed drunkard. The use of local color is shown as Harte describes the characters
appearance. Bret Harte also uses local color in the dialogue that he gives to his group of characters. As Mr.
Oakhurst returns to the group he speaks in a particular dialect, "Is this yer a d____d picnic?" This dialogue is an
example of the way that people actually talked. "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" shows local color by describing
the use of a southern type dialect. Local color can be shown in a particular dialect,occupations, and Topography.
This dialogue Harte us...
Mother Shipton, the first troublemaker, was a prostitute in the gambling town of Poker Flats. Mother Shipton had that “bad girl” mentality for being a prostitute. Mrs. Shipton and the other characters in the story were banished from Poker Flats and would later find themselves snowed in at a cabin in the California Mountains. While snowed in the reader can see Mother Shiptons' perceived character change. They had little to no food and their ...
Such talk effectively captures the typical conversation of the Old West and the Gold Rush and gives the reader a feeling of authenticity. Tennessee’s speech is similar, though not nearly as rough. Although not one hand of poker was played throughout the entire story, Tennessee revealed, through his use of words in his every...
In the novel Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, the character of Ethan Frome plays an important role in the development of the rest of the book. He has several character traits which distinguish him from the other main characters. Also, there are many factors which play against him throughout the novel.
characters in the book. One such example of this is on Page 14, while the
It is apparent that there are many types of dialect within American English. The coexisting of two or more languages, either serving together in the same area or servicing different areas, is as old as language itself (Pei 106). This has happened throughout time and appears to be inevitable. It is impossible to believe an entire country could conform to one language, and then only one dialect of that language. Throughout history societies have survived for some time using different languages until these language barriers tore territories apart. It is apparent how, in America, barriers between dialects separate black men from white men even more than physical conditions.
Southern culture is based upon three main things. The south is known for its hospitality, language, and food. Here is a bit of an overview on the history and background of the Cajun culture and language. Cajun culture began with the arrival of French Acadians who migrated to and settled in what is now Louisiana mainly between 1765 and 1785 (Cajuns, 1996). Cajun French is a variety of the French language spoken primarily in Louisiana, specifically in the southern parishes (Cajun French, 2016). The Cajuns spoke French almost exclusively until the 20th century. Many would learn English get along in an increasingly Anglo society as the 19th century progressed, but their main language was Cajun French. The basics of the language is their Acadian
In this book a number of dialects are used, to wit: the Missouri negro dialect; the extremest form of the backwoods Southwestern dialect; the ordinary “Pike County” dialect; and four modified varieties of this last. The shadings have not been done in a haphazard fashion, or by guesswork; but painstakingly, and with the trustworthy guidance and support of personal familiarity with these several forms of speech. I make this explanation for the reason that without it many readers would suppose that all these characters were trying to talk alike and not succeeding. (Twain 2)
As we progress though the novel, we a introduced to a variety of characters in the story like Rachel Turner
Welty uses her main character, Phoenix, to portray colored people who represent the fight for freedom. When Phoenix is described in the beginning, she is wearing a “red rag” and a “dark striped” dress (Welty 212). The red rag represents...
“The Outcast of Poker Flat” was published on January 1869 and was written by Bret Harte. His real-life experience was the inspiration to write this story - the hardships of living and earn money while living in a harsh and relatively primitive region of the United States, the West. The main plot focuses around a group of people that tries to survive against the forces of nature and bad luck.
The cinematography enforced the mood, drama, and plot. The use of color in the film was telltale of the mood. The colors were drab, lifeless, mellow colors. These colors were telltale signs of the setting and mood of the play. The setting was in a sorrowful, dirty, suffering country; the mood was sorrowful and suffering as well.
Bret Harte tells of a story where a group is outcast into the world to fend for themselves during the winter season. After they have been exiled and are outside the city walls, most of the group can’t handle the situation presented before them, as quoted, “As the escort disappeared, their pent-up feelings found vent in a few hysterical tears from the Duchess, some bad language from Mother Shipton, and a Perthian volley of expletives from Uncle Billy.
By being born and raised in Southern Alabama the townspeople in Maycomb County have a strong dialect, consisting of many “yonder” or “ain’ts”. Making it easier to cognize the plot of the story, therefore the reader has a better understanding of the characters and where they grew up. Also drawing the reader into a conclusion of whether they are from Alabama or not. Coming across the characters background at the same time. For example, Aunt Alexandra speaks in a white, formal, class of speech: “Why thank you son” (Lee 207). This differs from Jem’s form of speech, which is inadequate. “Shoot yonder’s been readin’ ever since she was born, and she ain’t even started school yet. You look right puny for goin’ on seven’ (Lee 8). Clearly comprehending the individual’s class and lifestyle to the reader.
are referred to in the novel. As I mentioned above, there are a lot of
The first character to be introduced is the old man. Just like every other character, the old man does not receive a name. He has a blue eye that appears to have a film over it. According to the story he has quite a bit of gold in his house. The old man was also nice to the narrator, as he has never done anything to him that would provoke the murder: