Journal #16

Journal 16 – Crane’s “The Blue Hotel” and London’s “To Build A Fire”

Read the following quote and discuss how it applies to the main characters in both stories. In the course of this discussion, address how each of the characters is both similar and different:

“Determinisim governs everything … The writer must study the inherited traits of individual characterand the social condition of the time. Together, these elements determine the course of any action, the outcome of any life. Free will or self-determination is mostly an illusion, although chance is granteed a role in human affairs. Still, even the effects of chance are obliterated in the inevitable course determined by the interaction of inherited character traits and the social environment.“

In the Blue Hotel, the Swede inhertited certain traits that ended up in his death. He was already told the Wild West was a bad place so he was already scared when he first got there. Mr. Scully also gave him alcohol which added even more to his downfall. When the Swede got drunk he became belligerent and made the other guests annoyed and angry. Every character played a role in his death by chance. Mr.Scully gave him alcohol which changed his personality, Johnny cheated, The Cowboy egged on the fight and said he wanted to kill the Swede, and Mr.Blanc saw Johnny cheat but didn’t say anything. The weather also caused all of these men to be at the hotel at the same time and also bring the stranger to the hotel who eventually killed the Swede.

In To Build a Fire, the man alos inherited certain traits that started his downfall. He did not listen to advice given to him by people who knew the area and he mistakenly built a fire under the tree. Because he was a newcomer and did not know the area very well his doom was pretty much from the start of his journey. If he had listened to the advice given he would have travelled successfully to his boys. However, he was stubborn and thought he didn’t need one and could face the cold by himself but this proved to challenging for him and eventually ended his life.