The The Outcasts of Poker Flat quotes below are all either spoken by The Duchess or refer to The Duchess. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). Feb 13, 2017 1952 The Outcasts of Poker Flat Dale Robertson; Anne Baxteer Eric Horton. 'SLEEPERS WEST' Lloyd Nolan, Lynn Bari, Mary Beth Hughes. 3-14-1941 (On YouTube) for a limited time).
John Oakhurst
The protagonist of the story. He is a professional gambler who is forced out of Poker Flat because he wins all the games and takes the townspeople's money. A typical stoic cowboy figure, he is kind, cool-tempered and a believer in the capriciousness of luck.
The Duchess
A prostitute who is exiled from Poker Flat. She is the drama queen of the group, prone to histrionics in the face of the exiles' hard journey.
Mother Shipton
A prostitute who is also forced out of Poker Flat. She later starves herself to death to make sure that Piney Woods gets to eat.
Uncle Billy
A thief and alcoholic who is initially forced out of town. He takes advantage of the situation, however, when he chooses to steal the exiled group's mules, leaving them stranded in the mountains.
Tom Simson
Referred to as 'the Innocent,' Tom is a young man who runs away with his lover, Piney Woods, to get married. He admires and respects Oakhurst, by whom he was defeated in a game of poker once; following the game, Oakhurst magnanimously returned Tom's lost money to him, forgiving his lack of experience with gambling.
Piney Woods
Tom's lover and fiancée, whose father objected to their marriage. Like Tom, she is understood to be pure and innocent. She dies in the Duchess' arms.
As Mr. John Oakhurst, gambler, stepped into the main street of PokerFlat on the morning of the 23d of November, 1850, he was conscious ofa change in its moral atmosphere since the preceding night. Two orthree men, conversing earnestly together, ceased as he approached, andexchanged significant glances. There was a Sabbath lull in the air,which, in a settlement unused to Sabbath influences, looked ominous.
The Outcast Of Poker Flat Literary Elements
Mr. Oakhurst's calm, handsome face betrayed small concern in theseindications. Whether he was conscious of any predisposing cause wasanother question. 'I reckon they're after somebody,' he reflected;'likely it's me.' He returned to his pocket the handkerchief withwhich he had been whipping away the red dust of Poker Flat from hisneat boots, and quietly discharged his mind of any further conjecture.
The Outcasts Of Poker Flat Character Quotes
In point of fact, Poker Flat was 'after somebody.' It had latelysuffered the loss of several thousand dollars, two valuable horses,and a prominent citizen. It was experiencing a spasm of virtuousreaction, quite as lawless and ungovernable as any of the acts thathad provoked it. A secret committee had determined to rid the town ofall improper persons. This was done permanently in regard of two menwho were then hanging from the boughs of a sycamore in the gulch,and temporarily in the banishment of certain other objectionablecharacters. I regret to say that some of these were ladies. It isbut due to the sex, however, to state that their impropriety wasprofessional, and it was only in such easily established standards ofevil that Poker Flat ventured to sit in judgment.