“Powder” is the story of an unnamed boy’s coming-of-age‚ framed by a father and son ski trip and shadowed by an impending divorce. Wolff uses the son’s initiation of conversation late in the story both to signal the son’s maturation and as a commentary on the importance of trust in familial relationships and letting go of fears about the future. Throughout the story‚ the son is put in situations outside of his comfort zone - specifically situations where he cannot see ahead far enough‚ literally
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“Powder” is a short story‚ by Tobias Wolff‚ about a boy and his father that are heading home through high snows. The father has had limited time with his son due to the family being divorced. The father and son go skiing and on the way home‚ they are stopped by trooper telling them that the roads are closed because the roads were snowed over. The father and son stop a small dinner to figure out how they were going to get the son home‚ since they had to be home before night according to the mother
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In Tobias Wolff’s short story “The Rich Brother‚” we are introduced to two brothers Pete and Donald. They is a major difference between these brother that one is wealthy and the other is always in need of financial assistance. The older brother‚ Pete‚ is a successful real estate agent while his younger brother‚ Donald‚ works as a painter whenever he can. The two brothers are very different in their belief about what is valuable. Pete is a man that has worked hard and values what he has acquired
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Tobias Wolff‚ author of the short story “Hunters in the Snow”‚ uses multiple elements of fiction such as suspense‚ conflict and mystery to create said story. All of which come together to create a remarkable‚ intriguing‚ and eye opening story for the reader to enjoy and ponder over for a substantial amount of time after finishing. The element of mystery becomes most apparent during the beginning stages of the story when the main characters are being introduced. With minimal details and no background
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Irony in Tobias Wolff’s “Hunters in the Snow” and Alice Munro’s “How I Met My Husband” Irony expresses and often underlines the contrast between two opposite concepts creating an indirect‚ more sophisticated method of communication. Irony is as efficient in a literary work‚ as the reader can perceive it. Therefore‚ often times the reader must carefully analyze the material‚ reading it repeatedly if necessary‚ in order to fully understand the author’s message and intent. Tobias Wolff and Alice
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before him in the doorway of his home and asked‚ Where is he? Where is your brother?(Wolff 269) What is the measure of a rich man? Is it his material possessions‚ the extent of his spirituality‚ or is it how he chooses to share his wealth with others‚ whether it is material or spiritual? Are we really our "brother’s keeper" or are we keepers of only our own wants and desires? These are all questions posed by Tobias Wolff in his short story‚ "The Rich Brother." However‚ he provides an underlying answer
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“My writing has been impelled by the desire to escape.” -Tobias Wolff Both Toby and his mother find the idea of escaping desirable. Toby does this in both physical escaping to another location‚ but also on an emotional level. Tobias Wolff chose the name Jack as a new beginning for himself. This is a representation of him escaping his past and making himself anew. He escapes his past by using his imagination‚ through the act of driving‚ and taking on different roles. Toby tries to pretend that his
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The Rich Brother “The Rich Brother” by Tobias Wolff is a symbol of sibling rivalry. Like most siblings‚ no matter how much they do not agree and how different the siblings might be‚ they still love each other. Even though these two brothers‚ Pete and Donald‚ do not get along and are vastly different‚ they need each other to co-exist. In the “Rich Brother” there is one brother Pete is the successful materialistic brother and Donald the loner who lacks everything but faith. Pete has a family‚
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Katherine Mansfield did a really good job at using theme through characterization. She first used Miss Brill’s attitude and appearance. Miss. Brill was a very classy old lady‚ “Miss Brill was glad that she had decided on her fur.” Back in the period that Miss Brill lived‚ it was very elegant to wear a type of fur around your neck‚ this usually symbolized wealth. The theme here would be acceptance‚ this connects to the world because there is always that one piece of clothing everyone wants or wears
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story. Here the narrator speaks directly to the reader‚ giving us information the characters don’t even know. How is this an appropriate conclusion to the story? What final statement is being made about the character? In “Hunters In The Snow” By Tobias Wolff‚ A statement is being made by the narrator at the end of the story when it said‚ “They had taken a wrong turn a long way back” the ending indicates a dramatic irony; Kenny wounded in the truck‚ Frank and Tub eating in the diner‚ truly having no
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