Few criticisms of "The Blue Hotel" focus on the involvement of the reader. Though the effect is sublte, Crane seems to deliberately involve the reader in the Swede's death, by drawing the reader into hatred of him. The story condemns all of the characters who wish for the Swede's death, by exposing the Swede as innocent in the end. In this condemnation Crane exposes us as one of the plotters of the Swede's death.

We feel as though the Swede is asking to be killed; when seemingly the Swede causes the fight with Johnny, the reader naturally takes the side of Johnny. Few readers can deny that they felt much as the cowboy did in screaming "Kill him! Kill him!" as the Swede and Johnny fought. The cowboy seems to be a voice of our collected lust for violence- we all want Johnny to win the fight. In fact, the cowboy characterizes the readers emotions until the end, crying out "well i didn't do anything, did I?"

The reader must feel the same sense of bewilderment at being accused of plotting the Swede's death, since we obvioulsy have no direct hand in stabbing the Swede. Crane's point in creating this scenario is that our animal nature is part of the culprit; our animal nature to see the Swede dead. It is human nature which is condemned. In the end we get our wish- the Swede is killed. The Swede is not the antagonist however, in the end he is shown innocent as anyone else.the result is everyone is left dirty with guilt, including the reader, who is left only to ask "well i didnt do anything, did I?"

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