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Essay about Roaring Camp

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The Regeneration of Roaring Camp

	"And so the work of regeneration began is Roaring Camp"(9). The

regeneration referred to takes place in a California mining camp in 1850 after

the birth of Tommy Luck, son of Cherokee Sal, the camp’s prostitute, who

died giving birth. Sometimes one doesn’t realize how much he needs to

change until he gets a subtle push from fate. Just a little addition to the world

can cause a regeneration of a lifetime. Bret Harte demonstrates this idea in

the story "The Luck of Roaring Camp." In this story, Bret Harte shows that

even the roughest men can regenerate into kind, gentle, wholesome people,

with the love of a child.

	"The term …show more content…

Many gave the baby a contribution. The sorry state of the

camp and the men under went change immediately after the arrival of the

baby.

	"Almost imperceptibly a change came over the settlement"( 9). The

new baby was given the name Tommy Luck, but was known around the camp

as "The Luck." The men made sure that Luck was scrupulously clean. The

men decided it was time to under go changes themselves. "The reflections of

the latter on the appearance of Roaring Camp tended to produce stricter

habits of personal cleanliness"(9). The men wore clean shirts and moral and

sanitary laws were not neglected. The men of Roaring Camp gave up

shouting and profanity because they did not want to disturb Luck. Some men

even sang the baby lullabies. The birth of the baby definitely changed the

men, and Roaring Camp for the better.

	"It was wonderful how many treasures the woods and hillsides yielded

that "would do for Tommy"(11). The men of Roaring Camp regenerated just

because of the love of a baby. Tommy Luck was known as "The Luck of

Roaring Camp." The men felt that as long as they had Tommy, they had the

luck with them. One should never put all of his trust in luck because sooner

or later his luck is bound to run out. The men put all of their faith into one

little baby. "Such was the golden summer of Roaring Camp. They were

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