Literary Analysis Of Hunters In The Snow

Hunters in the snow has strong literary depth in relation to human nature and weather. All of the characters contrast one another. For example, during the first scene it is evident that Tub is not “in” with Kenny and Frank. This displays bullying and a sense of social darwinism. Tub is overweight and cannot seem to keep up with the other two men, so they single him out as different. When they are walking back to the car Tub was having difficulty because “the edge of the crust bruised his shins” (page 89). As the story develops, layers are added to each of the characters strengthening the theme of the story. Kenny seems impulsive and hostile similar to the chilling weather. During the duration of the story however he becomes increasingly weak
and loses power in the group. Frank is a follower, he remains on the side of whoever is strongest at any given moment. After Tub shoots Kenny, the roles of power are reversed. Tub rises and readers can further understand the selfish nature of humans. Tub and Frank have a widening character flaw in common, they have crippling vices. Frank is in love with a teenager and Tub eats copious amounts at an astounding rate. When Kenny is in the back of the truck and the other two men stop to eat, the author's intentions were not merely to fill the characters with nourishment. Frank enables Tub to eat as much as he can and give in to his guilty pleasures. Frank would like Tub’s approval on the topic of his love affair. In addition to this, Kenny is being left in the back of the truck mostly forgotten. When the blankets blow off of him Frank felt that “They’re not doing him any good,” (page 99). Harsh weather displays the coolness of people's hearts and the self-centeredness of the men. The author allots for the literary characters to have depth and portray many characteristics of human nature.