Bret Harte  �The Luck of Roaring Camp�

Narrative structure:

I.                     Set-up/Intro/Setting/Situation (first Eight paragraphs)

a.        Cherokee Sal is about to give birth

b.       Roaring Camp (defined as male-dominated, rowdy, lawless, uncivilized place)

II.                    Rising Action (birth of Thomas Luck)

a.        Cherokee Sal dies, leaving the men in charge of what to do with a baby�situation (100 men and a baby)

b.       Death and life theme (Stumpy between the dead Sal and little babe)

c.        Decision what to do with the baby�beginning of �regeneration� of Roaring Camp (not peaceful �Nature� but wild)

III.                  Thomas Luck is christened and �thrives�

a.        Roaring Camp develops�becomes more �civilized�; Kentuck not allowed to hold Luck

b.       �Luck��fate as a theme becomes important here

c.        Baby taken to gulch (foreshadowing of his death)

d.       �Golden summer� of Roaring Camp

e.       Thomas Luck has become �The Luck��love and money (material and spiritual aspirations combined)

IV.                  Tragedy�Death of the Luck--Moral

a.        Boy dies in Kentuck�s arms�why does he die in Kentuck�s arms instead of Stumpy�s�regeneration of Kentuck? 

b.       Themes�what is revealed about the larger theme: River brings gold/luck/fate (Kentuck is spiritual despite his �materialistic� look); the Luck transforms the Camp inside as well as out; they become morally better as a result

c.        These men out in the wilderness are no worse than �civilized� men

d.       We all have to face Death/Fate/meaning in our lives