Points of View

Crane writes the Blue Hotel exclusively from the third person point of view. The reader sees the story unfold from a subjective point of view, feeling a desire to help Scully, a feeling of sympathy for Johnnie, and a feeling of repulsiveness towards the Swede (at least initially). The only departure from the third point of view occurs in Chapter Six when the author talks directly to the reader about how any room can become a place of fear. Crane explains that a room's present occupants create the mood of any room at any one specific time, in this case, the "lobby" is generally a place of fear. This is in contrast to the environment itself setting the mood of its inhabitants.

Using his usual dark and pessimistic style, Crane gives little reason for hope or good will throughout the action. Instead, the settings are cold...