“The Blue Hotel” The Story “The Blue Hotel” by Stephen Crane was one that inspires a lot of thought. This thought is about settings, characters, and ideas. The characters he creates are very different from each other, as shown in comparisons to each other. The use of symbolism in the story lets us imagine why the hotel is painted blue and we can wonder about the character of the Swede for long periods of time. These elements combined have made this story very good.The settings in the story are a very big focal point of Stephen Crane. He develops them very well and makes them actually serve a purpose in the story. The color blue painted on the outside of the hotel could symbolize its old age and the dark and dreary atmosphere surrounding it. The hotel seems to be a microcosm because it is the central point for all of the story’s characters. The only place that they interact with each other is inside of the hotel and the main points of the story happen there. All of the violent confrontations happen in the hotel or around its grounds. The main fight between the Swede and Johnny is outside in the bitter cold in the street. The hotel could possibly change the characters thinking and cause them to be really weird. This is shown when Scully shows the Swede pictures of his dead family (269). What person in their “right” mind would show someone who thinks they are going to be killed a picture of someone who was killed? These examples show how the settings are more important then the characters themselves. The characters are very odd in this story. It’s very hard to think of how such a group could have been formed. The differences among the men are large. The cowboy is the rugged and sinister type, while the easterner is very open and joyful. Johnnie is not like his dad, Scully. They seem to be foils of each other. The Swede is just very unique and in a class by himself. He ...
