The Heron
That it is mentioned in the opening sentence signifies the importance of this symbol. The color of the hotel is compared to the color of the legs of a heron the narrator suggests allows its position to be fixed against any background. Of course, this is only true if the heron is not in flight on a clear day beneath an equally blue sky. The symbolism here speaks to the story’s themes of chaos arriving when things are out sync. When the heron is in what we perceive as a bird’s natural state—flight—it blends in perfectly with its surroundings, but take out of that context it becomes much more vulnerable.
The Gambler
Interestingly, one of the more commonly occurring criticisms of the story is the complaint that the forward action of the narrative suddenly comes to a crashing halt when dialogue between characters is interrupted by a long piece of expository prose describing the background of the Gambler. While one can argue for or against the effect this break has on pacing, its significance thematically is essential. The Gambler is a symbol of things could have turned out quite differently for Swede and all who came into contact with him. The Gambler will never be fully assimilated into the societal framework of the town simply by virtue of his disreputable means of making a living. Gambling is his “blue legs” which determines “his position” in town. At the same time, however, he has managed to effectively assimilate enough that he has been accepted as a member of the community providing he doesn’t overstep his boundaries through acts of conceit.
The Cash Register
The most ironically macabre symbol in the story is the cash register inside the saloon. Two things overlook this object: the open but lifeless eyes of the Swede’s corpse and sign informing patrons "This registers the amount of your purchase." Thus the cash machine becomes a reminder that everybody ultimately pays a price for the life they order.
The Stove
Normally a symbol of man’s relatively few successes at controlling the forces of nature by manipulating heat as shelter against the cold, here the stove (or heater) inside the hotel takes on a hellish symbolic status. Even the sound of it’s “humming with godlike violence” fits into the overall construction of everything in this story being out-of-sync. When its “voice swelled to equal the roar of the storm” it almost seems a scornful challenge to the hubris of men thinking they can control nature when they cannot even control themselves.
The Card Game
As long as everybody plays by the rules, the odds of winning and losing will continually shift but at an equal opportunity for everybody. It may not seem fair that one person may always draw a losing a hand against another player who always seems to draw a winning hand, but in reality it is fair and it what makes the game worth playing. When someone cheats—no matter to what extent—the odds become compromised and everything happens becomes illegitimate. The card game is a central symbol of the story’s stated theme: the conceit (self-interest) of man is the engine of life (and the instrument of death.)
