Three nineteenth-century texts on American freedom and equality

¶ … Independent Readings Between 1865-1910: Expanding Frontiers

"Outcasts of Poker Flat" Outline

Exposition/Introduction: Poker Flat is a town that has suffered financially due to gambling and immorality and they lay the blame on gambler John Oakhurst. In lieu of hanging him, the town government decides to expel him and three other immoral characters from their midst, including the Duchess, Mother Shipton, and Uncle Billy.

Rising Action: The four characters are escorted out of town and reluctantly set out to live in Sandy Bar, which is a difficult journey away. They meet up with a pair of runaway lovers, Tom and Piney, and retreat to an abandoned cabin, where their mules are stolen by Uncle Billy and there is an extended snowstorm which traps them.

Climax: Mother Shipton passes away and John sets out through the snow to get help.

Falling Action: Because they are stuck alone in the cabin with few resources and John and Tom have not returned, the Duchess and Piney die.

Resolution: The body of John Oakhurst is found by the Poker Flat law, dead by his own hand, run out of luck.

"Booker T. And W.E.B." Summary

This poem deals with the differences in philosophy between the characters Booker T. And W.E.B. Booker T. believes that education should be limited to the practical realm, as jobs are available cooking and farming. W.E.B., however, argues that a person should be able to study whatever he wants. Another element of the back-and-forth argument is that Booker T. says that the fight for civil rights (and the right to vote) is not as valuable as working hard to get money and buy property. W.E.B. comes back by saying that property is useless if there are not educated black people who can protect the land that others earn. He also alludes to lynching, by saying that money does not protect a person against the "rope" or "fire."

In the poem, there is a pattern of end-rhyme, where the last words of couplets rhyme (i.e. cheek/Greek, look/cook). In addition, there is a refrain of a pair of lines which occurs at the beginning of the poem and ends it (for emphasis) of "It seems to me,' said Booker T." And "I don't agree,' Said W.E.B."

Reflection of the Time Period

Susan B. Anthony's speech captures the intensity of the struggle for suffrage by comparing the plight of women to that of African-Americans, another civil rights issue at that time. It is clear that she is among a disadvantaged class of people, but it reflects the time period in that there is a glimmer of hope and uprising among several groups of oppressed people in America.