The Luck of Roaring Camp
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Themes
All Themes Sin, Redemption, and Children The Fleeting Nature of Luck Children, Caregiving, and Masculinity Isolation, Community, and Hardship The Brutality of the Old West
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Kentuck Stumpy Oakhurst Sandy Tipton Man-o’-War Jack Cherokee Sal Tom Ryder
Symbols
All Symbols Tommy Luck (“The Luck”) The Flood
Literary Devices
All Literary Devices Dialect Genre Imagery Irony Mood Personification Satire Setting Similes Situational Irony Style Tone
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The Luck of Roaring Camp

by

Bret Harte
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Oakhurst Character Analysis

Oakhurst, a resident of Roaring Camp, is a philosophical man who has a reputation as a gambler. He’s often the voice of calm and reason throughout the story, like when he thoughtfully suggests that the men name the baby “the Luck” rather than using Cherokee Sal’s name or the father’s name (which, of course, would be impossible given that the father is unknown, and the story implies that all the Roaring Camp men have had sex with Cherokee Sal). In doing so, Oakhurst intends to give the baby a clean slate in life rather than being immediately weighed down by his mother’s poor reputation as a prostitute. Harte’s “The Outcasts of Poker Flat,” which also features Oakhurst but is set in a different settlement, notes that Roaring Camp is Oakhurst’s hometown.

Oakhurst Quotes in The Luck of Roaring Camp

The The Luck of Roaring Camp quotes below are all either spoken by Oakhurst or refer to Oakhurst. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Sin, Redemption, and Children Theme Icon
).
The Luck of Roaring Camp Quotes

Gamblers and adventurers are generally superstitious, and Oakhurst one day declared that the baby had brought “the luck” to Roaring Camp. It was certain that of late they had been successful. “Luck” was the name agreed upon, with the prefix of Tommy for greater convenience. No allusion was made to the mother, and the father was unknown. “It’s better,” said the philosophical Oakhurst, “to take a fresh deal all round. Call him Luck, and start him fair.

Related Characters: Oakhurst (speaker)
Related Symbols: Tommy Luck (“The Luck”)
Sin, Redemption, and Children Theme Icon
The Fleeting Nature of Luck Theme Icon
The Brutality of the Old West Theme Icon
Page Number: 21
Explanation and Analysis:
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Oakhurst Quotes in The Luck of Roaring Camp

The The Luck of Roaring Camp quotes below are all either spoken by Oakhurst or refer to Oakhurst. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Sin, Redemption, and Children Theme Icon
).
The Luck of Roaring Camp Quotes

Gamblers and adventurers are generally superstitious, and Oakhurst one day declared that the baby had brought “the luck” to Roaring Camp. It was certain that of late they had been successful. “Luck” was the name agreed upon, with the prefix of Tommy for greater convenience. No allusion was made to the mother, and the father was unknown. “It’s better,” said the philosophical Oakhurst, “to take a fresh deal all round. Call him Luck, and start him fair.

Related Characters: Oakhurst (speaker)
Related Symbols: Tommy Luck (“The Luck”)
Sin, Redemption, and Children Theme Icon
The Fleeting Nature of Luck Theme Icon
The Brutality of the Old West Theme Icon
Page Number: 21
Explanation and Analysis:
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