Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze two works: "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" by Bret Harte and "To Brooklyn Bridge" by Hart Crane. Specifically, it discusses what reasons the two main characters have for conforming (or not conforming) to the norm in these two works. The characters in these works symbolize America, both the best and the worst. They also symbolize how society expects much from its citizens and how some people, no matter how hard they try, simply cannot conform to the norm and fit in to a society that will only accept them on its own, quite demanding terms.

From the Paper
"Conforming to the "norm" is one way people manage to get along in society. Society certainly does demand a lot from most people, ethically and politically, and those who do not openly conform to society's rules are often cast out or seen as outsiders. In both of these works, the main characters must conform to society's rules to survive. In "Brooklyn Bridge," the main character is really the bridge itself, and Crane portrays it in a mystical or God-like way, as if it is an image to be idolized, just like the Statue of Liberty nearby in New York Harbor. More than conforming, the bridge becomes a symbol of America at its best. It is symbolic of a society on the move, inventing new technology and rushing toward the future."

Tags:oakhurst, mother, shipton

Abstract
This paper analyzes three different American short stories: Bret Harte's "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," Sarah Orne Jewett's "The White Heron," and Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat". In particular, the author looks at the stories with regard to the different forms of realism in fiction - being naturalism, local color, and regionalism.

From the Paper
"Realism in fiction appears in several different forms, some of which can be illustrated by reference to different American short stories. The three primary categories of realism are naturalism, local color, and regionalism. In a broad sense, realism emulates reality closely and in great detail, with an emphasis on verisimilitude. Character is more important than action or plot. Social class is an important element that defines characters, and the speech of characters is in the natural vernacular. These elements can be seen in different degrees in Bret Harte's "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," Sarah Orne Jewett's "The White Heron," and Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat.""

Tags:characters, fiction, stories

Abstract
This paper describes the stereotypes surrounding the characters in Bret Harte's story, "The Luck of Roaring Camp" and looks at how these stereotypes still resonate today.

From the Paper
"The author incorporates elements from one of the most familiar and beloved stories in Western culture: the birth of Christ. This is merely a starting point, however, and the story then describes the effect of the introduction of a child into an all-male community. The tale is a wonderful and beautiful illustration of how the uncouth frontier characters raise this child, the son of an Indian prostitute and an unknown father."

Tags:cherokee, sal, woman, death, races, stumpy, delivery, transformation, docility, sensitivity

Abstract
This paper compares and contrasts the novel "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allen Poe with Bret Harte's book "Tennessee's Partner". The author of this paper asserts that while the works were written years apart and on opposite sides of the earth, they share a bitter message of vengeance and murder. Furthermore, the author says, the authors have a similar writing style, with each employing both poetry and prose in their lyrical style.

From the Paper
"The easy comparison of course is that both tales involve murderous vengeance against an individual. In Poe's tale it's the character of Fortunato who becomes the object of the merciless orator bent on vengeance for the both real and imagined injuries and insults furthermore, this murder is carried out in an extremely personal manner. In Harte's tale the execution style vengeful murder is carried out in a corporate, or group, or mob-like fashion on the nameless character known only as "Tennessee's Partner"."

Tags:mob, murder, vengeance, poetry, prose, novel, book

From the Paper
"The purpose of this research is to examine the image of the Indian in the 19th-century American historical novel. The plan of the research will be to set forth a survey of discussions of American historical novels that portray Indian characters and life, with a view toward identifying American writers' trends and attitudes in the 19th century toward native Americans, and then to discuss how those attitudes framed and shaped more general perceptions of Indians in the mainstream culture as a whole. As we shall see, the weight of evidence from Indian portrayals on the whole is that they serve narrative more than insight. In particular, the presumption of Indian displacement by white culture pervades much 19th-century historical fiction.


Differences in perception about whether the displacement is just or unjust largely surface more as a matter of degree than..."

Abstract
In "Leviathan", Thomas Hobbes presents an understanding of the law as a concept that distances human beings from their natures, thus saving the integrity of civilization. Hobbes envisions the human being as naturally flawed and brutish and it is only the development of law and the strict adherence to these principles that a healthy civilization can exist. Hobbes argues, moreover, that situational legislation would be the decline of the integrity of a civilization. English legal philosopher H.L.A. Hart disagrees with Hobbes on this point. Hart argues for the privacy of one's personal conduct and states that if it does not infringe upon the rights of others, it should not be subject to public legislation. Hart relies strongly on the notion of "internal perspective" as a concept, which establishes the parameters of obligation for a legal system.

Abstract
The paper looks at how Austin argues that the existence of law is distinct from its merit or demerit, but notes that at the same time, Austin created an intellectual trap by relying on divine commands as the standard for human commands as well as obligation being a consideration of consequences. The paper discusses how his command theory of law is therefore based, as he argues it, on an authoritarian system of punishment which is fully justified by God. The paper then explains that Hart's main correction of Austin is to regard law as a system of social rules where obligation is rational and free. The paper shows how Hart's empirical approach to law as it functions in society clarifies and greatly expands the concept of command or obligation as Austin presented it.

From the Paper
"Austin supports the separation thesis by arguing that the existence of law is distinct from its merit or demerit. At the same time, Austin created an intellectual trap by relying on divine commands as the standard for human commands as well as obligation being a consideration of consequences. His command theory of law is therefore based, as he argues it, on an authoritarian system of punishment which is fully justified by God. Hart's main correction of Austin is to regard law as a system of social rules where obligation is rational and free. Hart's empirical approach to law as..."

Tags:law, obligation, approach

Abstract
This ten-page undergraduate paper examines whether Hart's view of a legal system provides an adequate account of the authority of law or fidelity to law. The author provides an exposition of this criticism, then examines Hart's response to such criticism.