Mother Shipton is the older of the two prostitutes who are run out of town in Bret Harte’s “The Outcasts of Poker Flat
What happens to Mother Shipton?
They play games and tell stories (entertain each other to get through day). What happens to Mother Shipton? ... Oakhurst take in the last part of the story? She dies of starvation because she saved her food for Piney.
How does the Duchess change?
By the end of the story, the Duchess has transformed into a benevolent, loving woman , who is selfless and kind to Piney. The Duchess matures as a person during her ordeal, digging deep to find reserves of courage in facing extreme adversity. This is quite some transformation.
What happens to Mother Shipton in Outcasts of Poker Flat?
After Oakhurst takes the bundle, Mother Shipton tells him, “Give ’em to the child .” The bundle is full of Mother Sipton’s rations, which she did not eat to increase Piney’s chances of surviving. Turning her head away, she dies.
What sacrificial act does Mother Shipton do?
Mother Shipton: Mother Shipton is an older Madame who takes on a maternal role in the group. Mother Shipton later makes the ultimate sacrifice when she secretly starves herself in order to ensure enough food for Piney Woods .
Why did Oakhurst and Tom leave the camp?
John Oakhurst, the Duchess, and Mother Shipton sympathize with Tom “The Innocent” and his young wife, Piney, and do not want to frighten them. The outcasts fear that revealing their identities and crimes will cause the newlyweds to panic and attempt to leave the camp immediately.
Why are the outcasts thrown out of Poker Flat?
The outcasts are thrown out of the town of Poker Flat because they are the undesirables of the town . Duchess, despite what her name implies, is not high class royalty in any way. She is the town prostitute; therefore, she is deemed a seedy character that should be expelled from the town.
What happened to Uncle Billy in The Outcasts of Poker Flat?
By morning, Uncle Billy is gone and the mules are nowhere to be found. The story never reveals what happened to Uncle Billy —whether he made it to the next town over or died in the pursuit—but he is nonetheless spared the long, agonizing death that the rest of the outcasts (plus Tom and Piney) are forced to endure.
What happened to Tom Simson?
The short answer to your question is that most of them die . Uncle Billy runs off with the mules and supplies the first night, and Tom Simson walks back to Poker Flat
What is the main message of the Outcasts of Poker Flat?
Bret Harte finalizes the confirmation his main message, which is that humanity runs deeper than external appearances and can’t be judged by lip-service and propriety , when Oakhurst selflessly offers himself as a sacrifice in the hope that the women might live.
What explanation does Oakhurst give his ability to go without sleep?
What explanation does Mr. Oakhurst give for his ability to go without sleep? Because of his gambler lifestyle he does not need to sleep.
How does Mother Shipton treat others?
Despite her stained reputation as a prostitute and her abrasive vocabulary, Mother Shipton is also compassionate, generous, and self-sacrificial , suggesting that she wasn’t so immoral after all.
Did John Oakhurst change throughout the story?
I don’t know that John Oakhurst really changed all that much during “The Outcasts of Poker Flat
Why is Oakhurst the weakest and the strongest of the outcasts?
In what sense is the “the strongest and yet the weakest of the outcasts of Poker Flat”? Oakhurst- he is strong and generous and cares for others. He is weak in his moral code . ... Professional gambler who is forced out of the town of Poker Flat as an undesirable because he wins so much money from the townspeople.
What happens to Mr Oakhurst at the end of the story?
Duchess and Piney stay in the cabin and when their fire dies they fall asleep hugging each other. They look so peaceful and innocent, that when the “law of Poker Flat” finds them, they are unable to tell which one is the sinner, so they turn away and let them be. As for the last, Oakhurst commits suicide .
