"The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky" by Stephen Crane

My reflections on “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky” by Stephen Crane

     In “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky,” the story sounds like it occurs in a western-type setting. Marshall Jack Potter marries his bride in the beginning of the story out of town in the city of San Antonio with no friends or family present. Inner turmoil for Jack Potter’s character starts early on in the story as he is nervously tries to hide his stress that accompanies bringing his  new bride home with him.

     Many clues in the descriptions within the story lead the reader to some ideas about the story. Jack Potter seems nervous to bring his bride home. He seemed to have eloped with his new bride. Jack Potter is the main character and a popular man inside the story. It doesn’t seem like he would have wanted to have a quick, out of town marriage ceremony. Jack also feels guilt in the story. It could be Jack feels guilty to bring his wife back to town with all the shooting that goes on in that setting. He could have felt guilt because he didn’t let anyone know he was getting married also.

     The conflict between Jack Potter and Scratchy Wilson seem to be related to Jack getting married. Maybe their conflict was over a woman all those years that they have been fighting. Scratchy Wilson lets go of their conflict on the day Jack arrives home with his bride when he learns that Jack is married. Jack Potter was never the one who began the conflict/fighting to begin with and agrees to let it go. Since Scratchy Wilson has a gun and Jack doesn’t at the end of the story, it is very fortunate for Jack that the impaired Scratchy lets go of their conflict.