Why do people judge others by stereotypes? This seems to be a problem from the beginning of mankind. Sometimes, the behaviors of people are good topics for writers. One writer, Bret Harte, wrote about this in the 1800s. One of his short stories, “The Outcasts of Poker Flat,” deals with changing stereotypes. The short story begins when the “bad” people are kicked out of a mining town called Poker Flat. The people of the town were not really good people, but they judge the others and banished them. Although the archetypal characters are typical, by the end of the story, they have changed. The hero of the story is Mr. Oakhurst, a gambler. Throughout the story, he displays the typical characteristics of a “hero”, and is always cool, calm and collected. When the “bad” people of Poker Flat are kicked out of town, Mr. Oakhurst takes the role of the leader and protector of the group, which leads readers to believe that he will be the one to save them all and lead them to salvation. Mr. Oakhurst also, at several points, reveals himself to be more of a gentleman than his purpose would suggest. This is seen in the times when he does not abandon the group when he most likely should, or when he gives Tom Stinson back the money he had won from him. However, although Oakhurst has the stereotypical traits of the “good gambler” and a brave man, the irony is seen when he keeps himself from being a true stereotype by committing suicide. This proves Mr. Oakhurst to be an ultimately weak character in the sense that he kills himself because he can not bear the pain of freezing to death or failing everybody in the group. The note he leaves behind indicates his life as a gambler and way of thinking in addition to his views on luck and fate. Duchess, a prostitute, is another one of the four individuals expelled from Poker Flat. Throughout the story she is seen as very whiny, annoying and “loose”. As the group of outcasts make their way