The Outcasts of Poker Flat / Bret Harte

Test Practice

Identify and Analyze Elements of Plot

With your partner, discuss how to answer these questions about the plot of the story.

1. Which statement best describes Mr. Oakhurst’s view of life?
a. He is angry because life is unfair.
b. He sees life as a game in which the dealer has the better odds.
c. He feels heroic, like Achilles in Homer’s Iliad.
d. He thinks life is a gamble that he will win.


What is the correct answer to the question above? How did the information you gathered while reading help you eliminate incorrect answers?

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