Regionalism
“The Outcasts of Poker Flat”
Bret Harte
BIG IDEA - Regionalism (1880)
• After the Civil War
• Also known as the local color movement
• Portrayed the traits of particular areas of the United States
• Attempted to describe the landscape, speech, customs, and other cultural details of their chosen region
Bret Harte
• Born in New York but went west when he was 18
• One of the best paid writers of his time
• $10,000 for 12 stories• Moved to Boston to write• Died of throat cancer at 66• The characters in Western
films are modeled after Harte’s stereotypes
Harte’s Stories
• Told stories of the rude, lawless life of the California gold-mining country
• Authors focused on real people, small towns, and regional lifestyles in order to remember the country before the Civil War
Important Literary Elements in Regionalism
• Dialect (“Why blame my cats, if he don’t weigh five pound!”) – “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”
• Setting – Page 469
• Characterization
LITERARY ELEMENT - Characterization
• The methods a writer uses to reveal the personality of a character
-Direct characterization -Indirect characterization-Round character-Flat character-Dynamic character-Static character
Direct characterization
• writer makes clear statements about a character
Indirect characterization
• the writer reveals a character through what other characters think or say or what that character says or thinks
Round Character
• Characters who show varied and sometimes contradictory traits
Flat Character
• Characters who reveal only one personality trait
Dynamic Character
• Grows and changes during the story
Static Character
• Remains basically the same throughout the story
READING STRATEGY – Making Generalizations
• A broad statement based on a few facts, descriptions, or examples
VOCABULARY
• Impropriety
• Malevolence
• Equanimity
• Hypothesis
• Seclusion
Impropriety
• The quality of being improper; inappropriate behavior
• EX: Newspapers accused the mayor of impropriety when he hired his relatives.
Malevolence
• A disposition to wish harm to others; ill will
• EX: The bully’s malevolence caused other children to fear him.
Equanimity
• Evenness of temper; calmness
• The teacher became known for her equanimity during disruptions.
Hypothesis
• An unproved explanation or assumption
• Sharon’s hypothesis was that a tree branch was causing the tapping sound.
Seclusion
• Separation from others; isolation
• Seeking seclusion, the famous movie star shunned fans and reporters.
Outcasts
• To be outcast is to be driven out or rejected
• In this story, the outcasts are forced out of town with the threat of death if they return
Outcast
• John Oakhurst
-gambler
Outcast
• Uncle Billy
-suspected sluice-robber
-drunkard
Outcast
• The Duchess
-younger escort
Outcast
• Mother Shipton
-older escort
Innocent
• Tom Simson
Innocent
• Piney Woods
QUESTIONS to Discuss
• Why might a person be outcast from society?
• Can a person be an outcast without physically going somewhere else? Explain.
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