In Bret Harte’s short story, The Man of No Account, Harte sheds a light on the commonly exploited person. Harte goes on to show the important qualities they have or lack, the limits of a person driven by kindness, and their tendency to give in using an extraordinarily, ordinary character’s personality and his experiences. David Fagg, a man who was of no importance, was mocked by his shipmates while traveling on a boat to the United States. Upon reaching the states, he strikes it rich in California, but ends up being exploited and taken advantage of because of his money and consequently comes to his demise.

David Fagg, a man referred to as a pushover and a man of no account, is a character in Bret Harte’s short story that makes an impact …show more content…
In the two years after reaching California, David Fagg had worked diligently and became a proprietor of a wealthy bank. Fagg had taken a fancy to a nearby hotel owner’s daughter and of course Fagg was approved of due to all of the money he had. Rattler, who was one of Fagg’s old shipmates that patronized him the most, had also taken to the same girl. When talking to the narrator about his decision to back off of the girl, Fagg declares, “that's it!--I'm of no account! But I always knew it. You see I thought Rattler loved that girl as well as I did, and I knew she liked him better than she did me, and would be happier I dare say with him. But then I knew that old Robins would have preferred me to him, as I was better off--and the girl would do as he said--and, you see, I thought I was kinder in the way--and so I left”(online). Yet again did Fagg yield to the wishes of another person and sacrifices his own well being. A person simply cannot live for another being. Selfishness, contrary to popular believe, is a quality humans must have to safeguard the wellbeing of themselves. Shortly after the incident, Fagg decides hand his business over to the speaker and to “go home”. The speaker says, “I was too much disgusted with his treatment of that Rattler to be at all amiable, but as his business was profitable, I promised to attend to it, and he left.