the blue hotel

¶ … Blue Hotel

The majority of the action in "The Blue Hotel" by Stephen Crane occurs in a hotel so named for its blue color. Throughout the story, themes of isolation and a sense of unity with other human beings are contrasted. In fact, it is this very sense of isolation that eventually causes the death of the man known to the reader only as "the Swede." Throughout the story, the Swede is isolation personified.

Indeed, it appears that the Swede himself is largely responsible for his own loneliness. Everything he says and does, for example, separates him from the rest of the fairly diverse group of guests at the hotel. He for example appears initially aloof, and is later overly jovial. The Swede seems unable to connect with his fellow hotel guests. It is as if his foreign nature places a barrier between himself and the rest of the predominantly American guests. An especially alienating element is the Swede's baffling claim that he will be killed by somebody in the hotel, which follows his statement that "... there have been a good many men killed in this room." (Section II). The author also portrays the Swede as a "badly frightened man" (Section I).

These factors also serve as isolating elements from the sympathy of the reader. It does not appear that the Swede needs to be frightened of anything; and the general impression that the reader forms is of an extreme case of paranoia. This is further substantiated by the fact that he believes the hotel owner is trying to poison him when offering him whisky. These effects then culminate in a lack of credibility when the Swede accuses Johnny, the hotel owner's son, of cheating in the card game they were playing. As none of the other players confirm this suspicion, the reader is also disinclined to believe the Swede's words.

The effect of isolation is also achieved by Crane's use of setting. The Hotel is centrally located between an isolated train station and a small town. The hotel owner makes daily visits to the station to encourage potential guests to come to his establishment. The weather conditions for the greater part of the story also serves an isolating effect. The warmth of the hotel stove and room is strongly contrasted with the increasingly cold weather outside. After the Swede's fight with Johnny, the former leaves the hotel to find friendlier surroundings. Having isolated himself by word an action since the beginning of the story, his departure through the snow serves as a symbolic substantiation for the fact that the Swede was now truly alone. Interestingly, the Swede finds the isolation agreeable, as symbolized by the fact that the cold on his battered face was not an unpleasant sensation to him.

Crane explicates the absolute isolation in extreme terms:

We picture the world as thick with conquering and elate humanity, but here, with the bugles of the tempest pealing, it was hard to imagine a peopled earth. One viewed the existence of man then as a marvel, and conceded a glamour of wonder to these lice which were caused to cling to a whirling, fire-smote, ice-locked, disease-stricken, space-lost bulb. The conceit of man was explained by this storm to be the very engine of life. One was a coxcomb not to die in it. (Section VIII)

With these statements, Crane is not only illustrating the extremely isolating effect of the weather and the small, apparently vulnerable town, but he also alludes to a more general view of life that this might inspire. Instead of "thick" with overpopulation, the location in the story makes the earth appear a desolate place. This is the lonely scene that greets the Swede.

More than the contrast between desolation and overpopulation, Crane also focuses in very contrasting terms on the nature of humanity itself. The diction he uses is significant: human beings are seen as both a "marvel" and "lice," and as both a "glamour of wonder" and "desperately clinging" to an earth that is harsh, unfriendly, filled with often manmade diseases and lost in space. Human beings are almost entitled to conceit if they could survive in a storm like the one described in the story.

According to what he says, Crane appears to harbor very ambiguous feelings about the humanity and the earth of which he is a part. Humanity has worth only when they struggle for survival. Otherwise they can be seen as no more than over bred lice. In terms of my own views, I have a somewhat more positive outlook. While it is true that overpopulation and disease are problems created by the carelessness of humanity, there are also many cases of charity and caring that places many human beings above the harsh perception as mere conceited lice who have survived a storm or two. The technological, economic, and humanitarian developments over only the last century shows the great potential of the human heart. While it is therefore certainly not to be denied that humanity has inherent evils, there are also many contrasting cases of excellence that should not be overlooked. As a member of the human race, I prefer to concentrate on the excellence in others and myself. I find that this makes life far easier than a more negative view. I do believe that Crane is trying to be realistic in his outlook. However, realism is not always conducive to focused action.

The Swede demonstrates more humanity when he reaches the town and enters a bar. Apparently tired of isolation, the Swede attempts some conversation with his fellow bar patrons. Initially it seems to go well, but as soon as he mentions that he had beaten Johnny, nobody is willing to drink with him. The Swede loses his temper, and is killed in a bar fight. What is interesting is the way in which all the townspeople and the hotel guests stood behind Johnny. Even justice is kind to the Swede's murderer, known only as the gambler, who received only a three-month prison sentence.

When reflecting upon the events much later, the Easter's words, "Every sin is the result of a collaboration," appears to reflect the fact that citizens of the town and the hotel guests all united against the "evil," isolated force of the Swede. The "sin" refers to his murder, in which most of the collaborators appear to rejoice. However, it is also revealed that Johnny really was cheating, and that most of his companions knew about this. In effect, by saying nothing, the events were set in motion that led to the Swede's death. In this way, as the Easterner affirms:

We, five of us, have collaborated in the murder of this Swede." (Section IX).