Essay Questions

Why is Johnnie so defensive of himself throughout the story?

The author wants to show that this is simply the way that some people are - defensive. Very stubborn and crude, some people will not admit that they are wrong even when they are obviously wrong. Johnnie is one of those people, and he is therefore one of the biggest antagonists of the story. From the start, Johnnie was defensive about when The Swede said that someone had died in the front of the hotel, and he did not even admit that he was cheating at cards. Johnnie's symbolic character serves both as another person for The Swede to dislike, and a truth that some people are simply stubborn.

Why are the travelers only referred to by where they are from?

In the story, the author wanted to emphasize stereotypes. The Swede, for example, is quiet and harsh, The Cowboy of a low IQ and a follower to everything that is going on. If the characters were given actual names, readers may have forgotten about their true "identity" - their place of birth.

Is The Easterner correct in saying that everyone involved was responsible for the death of The Swede?

When making this conclusion, The Easterner was drawing upon the fact that bystanders have a role in a situation as well. Standing by and watching something happen, even though you know that it is wrong, is also a crime. In this way, yes, all parties are guilty. However, the only directly guilty parties are The Gambler and Johnnie. Johnnie initiated the fight between him and The Swede, causing The Swede to leave in the first place, and The Gambler ended the life of The Swede is a horrible, painful way.