The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, a Satire of the Wild Old West
Perea 1
Victoria Perea
The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, a Satire of the Wild Old West
Stephen Cranes short story “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky” begins with a newly wed couple traveling by train from San Antonio to Yellow Sky, a small town in old western Texas. The groom, Jack Potter, is the sheriff of Yellow sky, and his bride “was not pretty nor was she very young” (Crane 5) The couple is not described in a romantic or idealistic way. Instead they are portrayed to be awkward, and overly self conscience. As the couple begins to approach yellow sky, Potter becomes increasing nervous about telling everyone back home that he had gone and gotten married. “Occasionally he was even absent minded and far away when the bride leaned forward and addressed him” (Crane 8).
In the second part of the story Crane introduces two new characters. The first is a drummer or traveling salesman from the East, who is obviously unfamiliar with the wild West. The second is Scratchy Wilson, the drunken desperado who supposedly “would not hurt a fly while he was sober” but occasionally goes out on drunken rampages, terrorizing the town. The drummer is locked inside the town saloon with the rest of the townspeople while Wilson is outside causing a commotion. Potter, being the town sheriff is the one who normally handles Wilson when he gets out of hand but unfortunately his train has still not arrived yet.
In the final part of the story Wilson, who does not know that potter had been away in San Antonio, hurls challenges at Potter’s empty house, while Potter, who has just arrived in Yellow Sky, creeps along the streets, hoping no one will see him and his bride. Wilson does find his nemesis but once he does he discovers that he is unarmed and newly-wed. When Wilson finds that Potter has gotten married he shuffles off into the distance with disappointment, symbolizing the end of the gun-fighting era. The brides is only significant because potters union to her is meant to symbolize the
Victoria Perea
The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, a Satire of the Wild Old West
Stephen Cranes short story “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky” begins with a newly wed couple traveling by train from San Antonio to Yellow Sky, a small town in old western Texas. The groom, Jack Potter, is the sheriff of Yellow sky, and his bride “was not pretty nor was she very young” (Crane 5) The couple is not described in a romantic or idealistic way. Instead they are portrayed to be awkward, and overly self conscience. As the couple begins to approach yellow sky, Potter becomes increasing nervous about telling everyone back home that he had gone and gotten married. “Occasionally he was even absent minded and far away when the bride leaned forward and addressed him” (Crane 8).
In the second part of the story Crane introduces two new characters. The first is a drummer or traveling salesman from the East, who is obviously unfamiliar with the wild West. The second is Scratchy Wilson, the drunken desperado who supposedly “would not hurt a fly while he was sober” but occasionally goes out on drunken rampages, terrorizing the town. The drummer is locked inside the town saloon with the rest of the townspeople while Wilson is outside causing a commotion. Potter, being the town sheriff is the one who normally handles Wilson when he gets out of hand but unfortunately his train has still not arrived yet.
In the final part of the story Wilson, who does not know that potter had been away in San Antonio, hurls challenges at Potter’s empty house, while Potter, who has just arrived in Yellow Sky, creeps along the streets, hoping no one will see him and his bride. Wilson does find his nemesis but once he does he discovers that he is unarmed and newly-wed. When Wilson finds that Potter has gotten married he shuffles off into the distance with disappointment, symbolizing the end of the gun-fighting era. The brides is only significant because potters union to her is meant to symbolize the