Regionalism and “Frontier Justice”

Unit 4

Objectives

• Define Regionalism using the Frayer model.• Apply assigned characteristics to “The

Outcasts of Poker Flats.”• List the four steps to “Frontier Justice.”• List the four conflicts in “Frontier Justice.”• Locate textual examples of the four steps to

“Frontier Justice” in “The Outcasts of Poker Flats.”

• Why was this the perfect time in history for the spread of Regionalism?

Local Color

• “Local color is the use in a literary work of characters and details unique to a particular geographic area. Local color can be created by the use of manners, attitudes, scenery, and landscape” (1185).

• What if…we were writing a story about Watertown, SD? What would we add descriptively to create local color? How would we know that the story was set in Watertown in September of 2006?

Regionalism

• Read and discuss “Literary Focus” on 533 of your textbook.

• Define regionalism using the Frayer Model.– Log-in to Novell.– Go to My Computer.– Go to WSD drive.– Go to Mary Barton folder.– Find reading_frayer_model.

Regionalism

• Create definition…Reread page 533. Close your book. Put definition in your own words. Check your book.

• Characteristics are…– Explanation or descriptions of customs and

attitudes.– Accurate representation of local speech patterns.– Descriptions of the unique environment.

• Do examples AND non-examples in reference to the Midwest. Create an example and non-example for each characteristic.

Regionalism = Mrs. Hansen’s model

• C:\Documents and Settings\HANSEJEA\ifolder\American Studies\Unit 4\Regionalism Frayer.doc

“The Outcasts of Poker Flats”

• Page 535.

Reading Purpose (535)

• Find and sticky note textual examples of Regionalism:– Customs and attitudes.– Local speech patterns.– Descriptions of unique environment.

• I will model. • In addition, I suggest noting the different

characters, their descriptions, and their professions as these characters are hard to keep track of and monitor.

“Frontier Justice” hand-out

• Identify the four conflicts on the frontier

• Identify the four steps to “Frontier Justice.”

• Read and discuss with Mr. Wookey.

Four Conflicts in “Frontier Justice”

• Cattlemen versus the sheep owners.

• Fencing = No more cattle drives

• Settlers versus land speculators

• Mining companies versus laborers.

• What conflict can we add after reading “The Outcasts of Poker Flats”?

“The Outcasts of Poker Flats” (535)

• Pair Share: Identify textual examples of the four steps to “Frontier Justice.” Jot down notes on word document. E-mail notes to me at end of discussion.– Made their own rules.– Appointed justices of the peace.– Formed posses.– The “trial.”– Appointed a marshall or sheriff.

• Large group discussion

Four Steps to Frontier Justice

• Made their own rules…– “In point of fact, Poker Flats was ‘after

somebody.’ It had lately suffered the loss of several thousand dollars, two valuable horses, and a prominent citizen” (534-535).

– “It was experiencing a spasm of virtuous reaction, quite as lawless and ungovernable as any of the acts that had provoked it” (535).

Four Steps to “Frontier Justice”

• Appointed justices of peace…– “A secret committee had determined to rid the

town of all improper persons” (535).– “A few of the committee had urged hanging

him [Mr. Oakhurst] as a possible example, and a sure method of reimbursing themselves from his pockets of the sums he had won from them” (535).

Four Steps to “Frontier Justice”

• Have a “trial”…– “This was done permanently in regard of two men

who were then hanging from the boughs of a sycamore in the gulch, and temporarily in the banishment of certain other objectionable characters” (535).

– The leader of the posse, could be the appointed marshal, pronounces their sentence “Only, when the gulch which marked the uttermost limit of Poker Flat was reached…” (536).

– Without a trial, “The exiles were forbidden to return at the peril of their lives” (536).

Four Steps to “Frontier Justice”

• Formed a posse and appointed a marshal.– “A body of armed men accompanied the

deported wickedness of Poker Flats to the outskirts of the settlement” (536).

– “Only, when the gulch which marked the uttermost limit of Poker Flat was reached, the leader spoke briefly and to the point” (536).

The End!

• Two-column notes due Thursday.

• 1 page typed, double-spaced, 14 point font that answers this question. Why was this the perfect time in history for the spread of Regionalism? Due on Friday!