The "Luck" of Roaring Camp
The baby born to the camp’s prostitute Cherokee Sal is the personified symbol of the “luck” of Roaring Camp. Can a baby actually be anything other than a symbol of luck? Certainly in this case, the baby himself is not literally responsible for any change in fortune, but a change in fortune does come so on the most simplistic of levels little Tommy is merely the incarnation of the symbolism of the title.
Tommy Luck
The strange thing about the baby is that he works on two multiple symbolic levels. In addition to being the symbol that explains the title, his presence in the narrative takes on a much more expansive and sophisticated symbolic meaning that actually is closer to metaphor than mere symbol. Technically speaking, this level is not even really endowed in the baby at all, but rather in the universal acceptance of the belief that the baby is responsible for the good fortune the miners have enjoyed since the infant’s christening as Tommy Luck. Tommy becomes totemic and the luck takes on the characteristics of God's grace.
And Unto Them a Baby Was Born
Having moved from simple symbol to metaphor, the highest symbolic sphere occupied by the newest arrival in Roaring Camp bumps him into the arena of allegorical figure. Essentially, the faith that miners invest in Tommy being directly and singularly responsible for their change of fortune reaches the level of worship. Although it may seem unlikely and improbable that men would worship a baby and invest his presence with seemingly supernatural powers, the plethora of manger decorations that pop up around the world during December strongly refute the argument that it is not realistic.
Kentuck's Clean Shirt
The depth of Kentuck’s faith in Tommy being worth worshiping is made manifest in the story’s sweetest symbol. Stumpy’s imposition of a quarantine against the physical handling of the baby by any who did not measure up to his exacting standards of personal grooming meant that Kentuck—who had developed a habit of wearing a garment until it literally fell apart rather ever cleaning it—was forbidden from touching Tommy. The clean shirt is a symbol of his devotion which is also tied to the scene earlier in the story when the baby reaching out and grasping his finger becomes the symbolic act which unites the miner in their collective desire to serve as his caretaker.
The Deluge of '51
The “luck” of Roaring Camp is invested in the arrival of a baby and is protected by the surrounding geography. Likewise the tragic reversal of fortune. Although the miners do worship Tommy as the bringer of good fortune, they do not practice what Tommy seems to have inadvertently preached. Rather than viewing Tommy’s random conception and appearance as a blessing which has improved their lives as a lesson to improve the lives of others when offered the chance, they take advantage of the protection against outsides offered by the defensive topography surrounding the camp. They give into greed and selfishness and ultimately are punished with the story’s most obvious symbolism, though the actual word “flood” is never mentioned even once.
