“Determinisim governs everything … The writer must study the inherited traits of individual character and 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 granted 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.“
The quote listed above applies to the main characters in The Blue Hotel and To Build a Fire. The quote’s overall meaning says the actions a person takes leads them in their course of life. In both stories, the individual character and social conditions of the time determine the outcome of their life. Simarlities between the main character’s in The Blue Hotel and To Build a Fire involve their social conditions and the setting. Both of the stories settings are in a blizzard and the social conditions involve a situation where a character is forced to stay put where they are. Another similarity between the two stories is the outcome of the situation. Both men get killed after many radical situations they are forced to face. The differences between the two stories would include the plot and the individual character. The plot in The Blue Hotel deals with more social conditions and involvement with other characters which effect the course of life. The plot in To Build a Fire does not deal with social conditions, rather is focused on a one man and his way to survival. The individual character’s in both stories have different mind sets and different ways at looking at their situations. Both men are in danger, but handle the situation differently.
No comments:
Post a Comment