Gold Rush Californians from all over the world have had their dreams of fortune crushed once they realized all of the gold had been taken right under their noses. Bret Harte, the author, wrote many tales including the “Luck of Roaring Camp”, ”Outcasts of Poker Flat”, and “Bulger’s Reputation” in his book “Bret Harte’s Gold Rush” that are based off of his experiences as a prospector. The miners in “Luck of Roaring Camp” tried their best to change their habits, however they eventually failed to protect and save “Luck”, the newborn baby. In the “ Outcasts of Poker Flat”, Oakhurst and his companions performed heroic acts to make up for their crimes and wrongdoings. In “ Bulger’s Reputation”, Bulger and the townspeople all desired to live in a
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Despite their religious conversions and noble acts, the characters of Harte’s stories wanted to redeem themselves, however they were unsuccessful due to their failed attempts of saving lives and changing their habits.
To start off, in the “ Luck of Roaring Camp” the miners tried to change their habits, however they were unable to protect the newborn in which they desired to love and raise. The miners tried to improve their actions in the camp by finding rare and beautiful flakes of mica which was then later given to please the baby named “Luck”. In his book Harte writes, “ The men had suddenly awakened to the fact that there were beauty and significance in these trifles, which they had so long trodden carelessly beneath their feet. A flake of glittering mica, a fragment of variegated quartz, a bright pebble from the bed of the creek, became beautiful to eyes thus cleared and strengthened, and were invariably put aside for The Luck.” (Harte 8) The miners of Roaring Camp …show more content…
Oakhurst and his companions were slowly losing rations, however Mother Shipton starved herself to give her food to Piney. In his book Harte mentions, " Only Mother Shipton -- once the strongest of the party -- seemed to sicken and fade. At midnight on the tenth day she called Oakhurst to her side. ' I'm going,' she said, in a voice of querulous weakness, 'but don't say anything about it. Don't waken the kids. Take the bundle from under my head, and open it.' Mr.Oakhurst did so. It contained Mother Shipton's rations for the last week, untouched. " Give 'em to the child,' she said, pointing to the sleepy Piney." (Harte 20). Mother Shipton was perceived as a sinful person who was kicked out of Poker Flat for being a prostitute but when she met Piney, Shipton noticed her innocence and gave Piney her food to prevent her from dying of starvation. She clearly believed that Piney would have had a more happier life if she survived, so Mother Shipton starved herself. Mother Shipton committed a selfless act as an attempt to save an innocent life from falling into the chains of death and to redeem herself from all of her sins. Even though the outcasts tried to save each other, nature ended up interfering and killing them. In his book Harte writes, " The wind lulled [quieted] as if it feared to waken them. Feathery drifts of snow, shaken from the
Despite their religious conversions and noble acts, the characters of Harte’s stories wanted to redeem themselves, however they were unsuccessful due to their failed attempts of saving lives and changing their habits.
To start off, in the “ Luck of Roaring Camp” the miners tried to change their habits, however they were unable to protect the newborn in which they desired to love and raise. The miners tried to improve their actions in the camp by finding rare and beautiful flakes of mica which was then later given to please the baby named “Luck”. In his book Harte writes, “ The men had suddenly awakened to the fact that there were beauty and significance in these trifles, which they had so long trodden carelessly beneath their feet. A flake of glittering mica, a fragment of variegated quartz, a bright pebble from the bed of the creek, became beautiful to eyes thus cleared and strengthened, and were invariably put aside for The Luck.” (Harte 8) The miners of Roaring Camp …show more content…
Oakhurst and his companions were slowly losing rations, however Mother Shipton starved herself to give her food to Piney. In his book Harte mentions, " Only Mother Shipton -- once the strongest of the party -- seemed to sicken and fade. At midnight on the tenth day she called Oakhurst to her side. ' I'm going,' she said, in a voice of querulous weakness, 'but don't say anything about it. Don't waken the kids. Take the bundle from under my head, and open it.' Mr.Oakhurst did so. It contained Mother Shipton's rations for the last week, untouched. " Give 'em to the child,' she said, pointing to the sleepy Piney." (Harte 20). Mother Shipton was perceived as a sinful person who was kicked out of Poker Flat for being a prostitute but when she met Piney, Shipton noticed her innocence and gave Piney her food to prevent her from dying of starvation. She clearly believed that Piney would have had a more happier life if she survived, so Mother Shipton starved herself. Mother Shipton committed a selfless act as an attempt to save an innocent life from falling into the chains of death and to redeem herself from all of her sins. Even though the outcasts tried to save each other, nature ended up interfering and killing them. In his book Harte writes, " The wind lulled [quieted] as if it feared to waken them. Feathery drifts of snow, shaken from the