Hunters in the Snow - Character Analysis
Tobias Wolff is a writer known for his memoirs and realistic short stories. “Hunters in the Snow” is a story about three friends, Tub, Frank, and Kenny, who go hunting in the snow. Wolff writes about humanity through the friendship of the three friends and the events they go through. In the beginning of the story is Tub, he is standing on the sidewalk. A truck comes around the corner, in the truck is Kenny, the driver, and Frank. The trio heads towards the woods where Kenny wanted to hunt. Crossing through the fences, Tub has trouble going through but Frank and Kenny offer him no help at all. On the way back, they notice obvious deer trails that lead into a no hunting zone. After getting permission from the owner, they followed the tracks but it ends in failure. Kenny began shooting in frustration at the post, the tree, and the dog. When Kenny points to Tub, Tub shoots him first out of fear. They take him back to the owner’s house to call the ambulance. Frank finds out all the ambulances are out and they must drive to the hospital. Tub writes down the directions and the guys place Kenny in the truck bed with blankets. Frank and Tub stop twice to warm themselves. When they get back and continue, Kenny says “I’m going to the hospital” (99). However, they had taken a wrong turn a long way back in the opposite direction of the hospital (86-99). The first to be introduced in the story is the protagonist Tub. Although the story is in 3rd person, the point of view is focused on him. The way Wolff writes, the readers will instantly sympathize for Tub. He is the one waiting in the cold, has a medical condition, and the target of insults from his friends. Tub is a nice person and a good friend; he used to stick up for Frank. Tub cried when he shot Kenny, overcome by worry and guilt. Also, when Frank spilled his secret to Tub, Tub supported him. On the contrary, his friends make fun of him and his health. His low self-esteem and disrespect from his friends pushes him to
Cited: Wolff, Tobias. “Hunters in the Snow.” Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense. Ed. Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson. 10th ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009. 86-99.