The Deuce of Clubs
That John Oakhurst chooses to mark his grave with a playing card, the Deuce of Clubs, speaks to his reliance on chance and luck—also instrumental in any card game—to govern his fate.
Bone Castanets
Harte's detail about the material out of which the castanets that Tom uses are made is poignant and foreboding, foreshadowing the day that the entire group will meet its end.
The Amphitheater
A hidden mountain amphitheater is the setting for the demise of John Oakhurst and his companions, lending a symbolic theatricality to the characters' progression toward death.
