The Luck of Roaring Camp

Cherokee Sal dies giving birth to Tommy. Had she lived, what effect would that have had on the behavior of the prospectors and the camp as a whole?

The prospectors adamantly refuse to involve women in raising the newborn. Why do they do this? How would the story change with women’s presence in the camp?

“The Luck of Roaring Camp” was enormously popular, establishing Harte’s reputation both at home and abroad. What about it might have appealed to his audience? Would it be as popular today?

Masculine and feminine gender roles are different now from when the story was published. How would the reactions to the story by present-day readers differ from those in the 19th century? Are Harte’s ideas about more expansive masculine gender roles applicable today?

Why do the men consider their plan to raise the child themselves to be “original, independent, and heroic” (5)? Why does this please them?

How is racism against Indigenous Americans portrayed in the story? What effect does it have?

Why does the narrator take such pains to distinguish himself from the camp’s residents? How does he do this?

How does Harte establish Tommy Luck as a Christ figure, and what role does he play in the text? Many stories include adult Christ figures that echo Bible stories from Jesus’s adulthood. Why might Harte have chosen to create an infant Christ figure?