The Blue Hotel

by

Stephen Crane

Cards

Cards signify both deception and fate in “The Blue Hotel.” Cards first appear in the story when the Swede, the Cowboy, and the Easterner arrive at the Palace Hotel and see Johnnie and…

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The Train

The hotel guests arrive by train to Romper, and the story begins by noting the perceptions of more sophisticated Eastern passengers gazing out the window of the train car—who look upon and judge the blue

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Blue

In “The Blue Hotel,” the color blue is symbolic of temptation and lawlessness. The blue hotel, called the Palace but known primarily by its color, stands in stark contrast to the environment surrounding it because…

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The Blizzard

Crane uses the blizzard in “The Blue Hotel” to symbolize chaos and isolation. The increasingly harsh, unforgiving weather outside reflects the mounting violence between the Swede, the cowboy, the Easterner, and Johnnie

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