Genre
A short story
Setting and Context
The action takes place in the Western United States in The Blue Hotel.
Narrator and Point of View
The narrator of the short story is third-person.
Tone and Mood
The mood is intriguing, stressful, and tragic, because there is a scene with the murder of the Swede and the story explains the sad inner world of this character.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The main protagonist is the Swede, who is a victim. The main antagonist is a gambler who kills the Swede.
Major Conflict
The main conflict happens between the Swede and his inner world. This man is trying in every way to avoid death, but his mind does not understand that he is about to find himself in trouble. Thus, the Swede provokes a conflict the result of which is his death.
Climax
The climax happens when the gambler kills the Swede.
Foreshadowing
Attitudes toward people and the disputes of the Swede foreshadow his tragic fate. Here, there are no fights and quarrels without serious consequences.
Understatement
The Swede’s words that he will be murdered are understated by his comrades at first, but when the prediction came true, people feel guilty that did not believe and did not prevent an awful act
Allusions
The short story alludes to the state of Nebraska and Sweden, because one of the main characters is the Swede.
Imagery
The images of a blizzard are presented in the story.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
There is a parallel involving courage and cowardice. When the Easterner admits his guilt and the guilt of other people in the Swede’s death, the cowboy shows his cowardice and claims that he is not to blame.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Human fears are personifications of the main enemy. The Swede’s main fear is death. However, unfortunately he does not manage to overcome his fear. His enemy destroys him.
