Question

the blue hotel
by stephen crane

the palace hotel at fort romper was painted a light blue. it is a shade that is on the legs of a kind of heron; the color causes the bird to declare its position against any background. the palace hotel, then, was always screaming and howling in a way that made the dazzling winter landscape of nebraska seem only a gray hush. it stood alone on the prairie; when the snow was falling, the town two hundred yards away was not visible. but when the traveler alighted at the railway station, he had to pass the palace hotel before he could come upon the low, clapboard houses which made up fort romper; it was not to be thought that any traveler could pass the palace hotel without looking at it. pat scully, the owner, had proved himself a master of strategy when he chose his paints. it is true that on clear days, when the great express trains swept through fort romper, passengers were overcome at the sight.
adapted from stephen cranes \the blue hotel, \ 1898.

1
select the correct answer.
why did pat scully paint his hotel light blue?
a. because it blends in with the dazzling winter landscape
b. because herons are his favorite birds
c. because he wanted it to match the clapboard houses
d. because it attracts potential customers

Explanation:

The text states that Pat Scully, the hotel owner, was a "master of strategy" who painted the hotel light blue so it would stand out against the winter landscape and catch the eye of passengers on trains passing through Fort Romper, thereby drawing in potential customers. The other options do not match the reasoning given in the passage.

Answer:

D. because it attracts potential customers