Hunters in the Snow

Hunters in the Snow is a work of fiction that was written by Tobias Wolf back in 1981. The story is based on the tale of three men namely; Kenny, Frank and Tub, who decide to take a hunting trip into the woods. However, as the story develops, the reader gets to understand the characters for who they are. The focus of this paper is to provide a literary analysis of Wolff’s fictional piece. The aspect of “literary” is often given to pieces of work that depicts human character and behavior that illuminate a certain
degree of originality and power. The setting of the story is told through the symbolism and weather that it carries. The characters of the profound and complicated story depict a parallel to the contemporary world. The twists and turns of the short story provide pleasure to the reader. However, their role goes further beyond entertainment as they provide a distinct picture of the chaos that is present in the human lives.
One major characteristic of the literary piece is that of symbolism. A myriad of symbolic references are brought out in Hunters in the Snow. The weather is one of the symbolic elements used in the short story. The description of the weather is given as being; cold, snowy and miserable. The writer goes on to tell the reader that Tub had to walk snow that was knee deep (Wolff 89). However, the hostile weather that is described at the onset of the story depicts the hostility of life in general (Bruegel 32). It focuses on the troubles and challenges that people go through in their day to day lives.
The narrator goes forth to discuss the aspect of Kenny being shot. However, the cold weather is not in any way helping his condition. The coldness of the weather by the narrator is used as a symbol of the coldness of hearts that can be experienced from people.
“Right overhead was the Big Dipper, and behind, hanging between Kenny's toes in the direction of the hospital, was the North Star, Pole Star, Help to Sailors. … They had taken a different turn a long way back” (Wolff 99)
The North Star is of symbolic value in the story. Wolff uses the North Star to let the reader know that the characters in the story were headed in an opposite direction.
Wolff gives the characters in the book a certain degree of depth that allows the reader to relate to the story. The realistic qualities that the author gives to the characters in the story allow the reader to see them as real-life characters in as much as it is a work of fiction. It is an inherent desire in every human being to meet and satisfy their needs and interests. Frank and Tub take Kenny’s blanket towards the end of the story. Earlier on in the story, the reader is given the picture of Kenny asking for permission to hunt on a farmer’s land that ends up with him shooting the dog. This is a clear image of the inherent human voice of self-fulfillment. The aim of the author or narrator is to ensure that the reader is introduced to a perspective they are not used to. The realistic picture of humanity that is brought out in the paper is one that the reader is not prepared to see.
The plot of the story is one filled with twists and turns, adding up to its literary accreditation. The twists in the story allow the reader to come to terms with the various intricacies of the bigger story. Contrary to the conventional belief that the twist are for pleasure and suspense, Wolff uses the twists as a platform of allowing the reader to look back at the choice of the various courses of action. The reader gets to see and look at the real picture of characters and analyze their motivations. For instance, when Kenny is short (Wolff 91), to the readers the move is entirely unexpected (Bruegel 41). However, the action pushes the reader to try and discern the character of Tub, who takes the shot. The reader is left in turmoil, trying to ponder the possible ends to the story. That is the desired intention of the author, hoping that the reader will get to look at humanity with a fresh perspective.
Conclusively, one can argue that the literary piece by Wolff helps the reader get a different and up close perspective to humanity. One of the techniques that the author repeatedly uses is that of keeping the reader in a state of wonder and anticipation. By using these techniques, the author forces the readers to think deeper and see some of the human flaws that they possess. The story employs the usual techniques to bring out different meanings and lessons for the reader. It is through the symbolism, twists and character motivations that the reader is drawn into the depths of story. The readers a left to wonder and think about the world they live in.





Works Cited
Wolff, Tobias. Hunters in the Snow. Blackstone Audio, Incorporated, 2014.
Bruegel, Pieter. Hunters in the snow. Athena Reproductions.