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A Critical Analysis of Animal Imagery in

 

            The term evolution, as defined by Webster's Collegiate dictionary, is the gradual process of development or change; thus, according to the field of biological science, the physical form of mankind, derived from an untamed animal state, is one that has continued to redefine and develop over time. In order to recognize this theory, one must be willing to accept that at the very nature of mankind, is a type of carnal instinct - a bestial component that forces out man's desire for reason, compassion, and affection. Through his incorporation of animalistic imagery within The Blue Hotel, Stephen Crane unveils the barbaric nature of the townspeople in Fort Romper, which is hitherto masked beneath a fallacious image of civilization and humanity. .
             The romanticized image of the "Old West,"" made popular through the adventure and danger of late nineteenth century dime novels as well as the sex appeal and grit of contemporary actors like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, is replicated through Crane's Nebraskan town, Fort Romper. Complete with all the typical "wild-west- necessities - a saloon, a cowboy, a bar fight, and a poker game, Fort Romper embraces the clichéd societal image of uncivilized America; however, those who dwell in this small western town refuse to acknowledge its defining structural characteristics - violence and deceit, and thus "[pretend] to [be] civilized . . . by imitating an Eastern model- (Church 99). The community members attempt to "affirm a benign climate that has . . . the superficial appearance of peacefulness and . . . stability;- and just like the townspeople, the author also attempts to disguise the actual nature of the community through his initial use of animal imagery (Feaster 81). .
             The "Blue Hotel,"" or the centerpiece of the town, is described in the opening paragraph as "a light blue . . . shade that is on the legs of a kind of heron- (325).


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