Compare & Contrast of Huck Finn and the Outcasts of Poker Flat

Jessica Higgs
Mrs. Beeson
English III
12 March 2012
Capturing the American Landscape “…and the wind was trying to whisper something to me, and I couldn 't make out what it was, and so it made the cold shivers run over me”, confesses Huckleberry Finn in Mark Twain’s novel The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn (7). Throughout these two pieces, The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn and “The Outcasts of Poker Flat,” Bret Harte and Mark Twain use nature to show the effects it has on the characters in their stories. A reason on why nature had such an impact on people of this time was the lack of technology. People in the 1800’s didn’t have the technology that is available today so relying on nature played a huge role. People of this time period were very philosophical and always pondering about things out of the box, using journals and diaries to keep their thoughts. This was a new thing for people of the 1800’s. American Literature describes this area of regionalism and naturalism as a reconstruction of time, stating that people who could not leave the troubles and move away read works like this to escape. It was the next best thing (623). Although most people enjoyed reading them for escapism, some thought Huck Finn was vulgar and immoral. Some libraries even banned it (624). According to Suzanne Bilyeu, the Library Committee in Concord, Massachusetts was appalled by Twain’s bad use of grammar and rough language (New York Times- Upfront). Though people had a rough time accepting this “reconstruction” of time, Harte and Twain described what people were really feeling about this time. In their pieces, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and “The Outcasts of Poker Flat”, Mark Twain and Bret Harte both reflect the understanding of being different and how the need to escape from society feels.
The main characters in these two pieces are not “normal” in the eyes of their peers. In Huckleberry Finn, Twain uses the same structure and wording on how Huckleberry is an outcast in his setting. The description of how Huck acts and how his care takers act is an example of how Huck doesn’t really belong in that setting. Huck has an aversion to deception in the beginning. He says, “Please take it, and don’t ask me nothing – then I won’t have to tell no lies” (41). This part shows his good character and what kind of person he is, especially for such a young age. When Huck’s father comes back, he realizes that this man isn’t who he wants to be and decides to take himself out of the picture by setting up his own death. He understands that he shouldn’t be in that situation, so he runs away with Jim. In “The Outcasts of Poker Flat,” each character is some sort of different, but they all decide to be together, because no one can accept them, and run away. Harte writes as if the outcasts have known for some time that they are not wanted and not socially accepted. He writes, “’I reckon they’re after somebody,’ he reflected; ‘likely it’s me’” (674). Although John Oakhurst was a gambler, and several thousands of dollars were missing, not a soul in Poker Flat came up to him and discussed the matter with him. Instead, they all judged and made him feel and become isolated.
Although these pieces both are mainly about differences and trying to solve them, they are also about growing older, obtaining maturity, and becoming wiser about life. These both have similar themes. Both sets of characters are ambitious. They strive to get away to something better than they have, even if that’s rowing a boat down a river. It’s the journey that they make to get there that makes up their character. The journey for these characters is trying to find somewhere that’s different than what they are used to. In Huckleberry Finn, Huck and Jim break traditions of their own to get away and escape. Huck enjoys being outside and runs away from his father, while Jim wants to help Huck Finn and is tired of being treated like dirt as a slave. At first, Huck isn’t sure about Jim running away. Jim states, “Well, I b’lieve you, Huck… I- I RUN OFF” (131). Huck starts to think it’s immoral the he has run off, but then realizes Jim is only doing what he’s trying to do as well. In “The Outcasts of Poker Flat,” the characters are emotionally drained. Everyone is basically bullying them, and they can’t take much more. The just eliminate themselves from the equation and set out to do what they want. Harte writes, “Mr. Oakhurst the expatriated part received his sentence with philosophic calmness, none the less coolly that he was aware of the hesitation of his judges. He was too much of a gambler not to accept Fate” (676). Although the outcome wasn’t how Oakhurst wanted, he still accepted and left town, becoming more independent than ever.
The relation that readers can have with these characters can vary from many things. Everyone has those days where all they want is to just leave. Humans just get out of their environment and escape all of the problems that they are facing. The comparison readers can have with Huck Finn would be for some the trouble with parents or authority. Huck did his own thing all the time for the most part, and yet he still wasn’t content with his environment. People talk about escaping quite frequently. Huck Finn is a great example of escapism and the need for a new start. With “The Outcasts of Poker Flat”, people can relate to the titles that they are given by people who judge them. Although this piece was written a while back, it still can compare to today’s time period with all of the judgment. Harte writes, “… the expatriated party consisted of a young woman familiarly known as “The Dutchess,” another who had won the title of “Mother Shipton,” (676). People were just as judgmental back in this time era as they are today. Everyone, at some point in time, feels as if escaping is the only solution. Magill Book Reviews states, “John Oakhurst, is the most interesting and complex character in the story, even though he too, in his philosophic attitude toward reality, is more a cliché than a fully embodied person.” Huckleberry and the Outcasts are characters that readers can picture themselves being, doing the things these characters are doing. Harte and Twain characterize these people in their stories and compare to real people. They both describe them as misunderstood yet independent and have an attitude about them that is okay with being different. They use naturalism as a journey and symbolize it as the milestones one has to go through in life to become the person they were meant to be. Huck Finn and John Oakhurst go through struggles that make them a stronger, wiser, and more mature person. Although one story is about a group of adults and the other is about a runaway child, they both compare in ways that are a lot alike.

Works Cited
“Regionalism and Naturalism 1870-1910: Capturing the American Landscape. McDougal Littell,
2008. 618-629. Print.
Bilyeu, Suzanne. "Mark Twain 's Bad Boy." New York Times Upfront (Vol. 142, No. 10). 01 Mar 2010: 18+. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 12 Mar 2012.
Harte, Bret. The Outcasts of Poker Flat. The Outcasts of Poker Flat. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 11 Mar.2012<http://web.ebscohost.com/src/detail?vid=7&hid=127&sid=b330c28f-bcd046648cda2a3fca26200a%40sessionmgr15&bdata=JnNpdGU9c3JjLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=mih&AN=9008013132>.
Harte, Bret “The Outcasts of Poker Flat.” American Literature. Ed. Janet Allen, et al. Dallas:
McDougal Littell, 2008. 674-684. Print.
Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York City: New American Library, 1959.
Print.

Cited: “Regionalism and Naturalism 1870-1910: Capturing the American Landscape. McDougal Littell, 2008. 618-629. Print. Bilyeu, Suzanne. "Mark Twain 's Bad Boy." New York Times Upfront (Vol. 142, No. 10). 01 Mar 2010: 18+. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 12 Mar 2012. Harte, Bret. The Outcasts of Poker Flat. The Outcasts of Poker Flat. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Mar.2012&lt;http://web.ebscohost.com/src/detail?vid=7&amp;hid=127&amp;sid=b330c28f-bcd046648cda2a3fca26200a%40sessionmgr15&amp;bdata=JnNpdGU9c3JjLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=mih&amp;AN=9008013132&gt;. Harte, Bret “The Outcasts of Poker Flat.” American Literature. Ed. Janet Allen, et al. Dallas: McDougal Littell, 2008. 674-684. Print. Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York City: New American Library, 1959. Print.