Journal #16

In the movie “The Blue Hotel”, the Swede is the best example of someone who proves the idea that social and character conditions together in a certain combination will lead to a predetermined end. The Swede, who is too influenced by the dime western novels, believes he is in a Wild West story when he enters the hotel. Because of this belief that he is in a Western novel, his mental instability shows when he says he will die in this hotel like many men have, even though no one has ever died there. In order to try to calm him down, the inn keeper gives him some alcohol, but since he could not handle alcohol well, he started acting drunk and uncontrollable. This unknown character trait by the other hotel residents is the factor that ultimately leads to his death. Disoriented by the alcohol, he fights Johnny, believing that everyone is going against him. The social environment of Swede, and where he thinks he is continues to enlarge his hysteria, and even after beating Johnny, he becomes more agitated and verbally attacks the stranger that just entered the hotel. In the end, the Swede was stabbed to death just as he and fate had predicted, which is a clear and perfect example of a self-fulfilling prophesy. The Swede was stabbed and died just as fate had predicted and is a perfect example of a self-fulfilling prophesy.

In “To Build a Fire”, the man is obviously a victim of the environment and fate. His determination and self-confidence to meet up with the boys at the lodge cloud any sense of fear, causing him to ignore all of the warnings and advice from the old timer. The old man warned and cautioned him not to travel when it is more than 50 degrees below zero outside, but the character of the man shoved all worries aside , as he was determined to get to his friends no matter what. The man does not notice the extreme danger, but the dog's instincts tell him the cold is going to be deadly. The man's ignorance to his environment and surroundings lead to his death. The man is ignorant to this environment and that leads to his death. All in all, His free will was only an illusion and while entering into that environment confident, but unprepared, his death was unavoidable. The man was unable to control any part of his destiny, because fate already determined how he was going to end.