Final answer:
The characters in 'The Outcasts of Poker Flat' represent stock characters commonly seen in Westerns: Oakhurst as the outsider with a heart of gold, Uncle Billy as the treacherous outcast, Mother Shipton as the protective older woman, Duchess as the fallen woman with a chance at redemption, Tom as the young idealist, and Piney as the pure-hearted girl.
Step-by-step explanation:
The characters in 'The Outcasts of Poker Flat' fill various stock character roles that are commonly found in Westerns. John Oakhurst, as the calm, stoic, and skilled gambler, represents the archetype of the quiet outsider with a heart of gold. Uncle Billy, with his less-than-honorable behavior and eventually betraying the group, fits the mold of the treacherous outcast. Mother Shipton plays the role of the hardened older woman with a fierce protective streak, especially evident in her sacrifice for Piney. The Duchess is the stereotype of the fallen woman with a chance at redemption, while Tom is the naive and young idealist. Piney, being young and innocent, is the archetype of the pure-hearted girl untouched by the harshness of the world.