Hunters in the Snow

“You look just like a beach ball with a hat on.”

This is the first thing Kenny says to Tub. It characterizes Kenny as cruel and Tub as someone who is going to be belittled and berated. The relationship between Kenny and Tub becomes a focus of the story, and Tub’s weight will be an unexpected point of bonding between him and Frank.

“Some juvenile delinquents had heaved a brick through the windshield on the driver’s side, so the cold and snow funneled right into the cab.”

The broken windshield and general neglect of the truck symbolize the neglect between Kenny, Frank, and Tub. The windshield later becomes relevant as Tub and Frank must stop the car twice to warm up while trying to get Kenny to the hospital, and Kenny is left in the cold in the back of the truck.

“I won’t say a word. Like I won’t say anything about a certain babysitter.”

Kenny threatens to reveal Frank’s secret. This statement foreshadows what we later find about Frank having an affair with a 15-year-old babysitter. This threat conveys that Kenny will use the secrets he knows against others, even his friends.

“‘You ask me how I want to die today’, Kenny said, ‘I’ll tell you burn me at the stake.’”

Although he isn’t burned at the stake, Kenny talking about his death foreshadows the life-threatening injuries he receives later in the story. Kenny saying this to his friends foreshadows that those injuries, and his possible death, will be at the hands of his friends.

“All I can say is, it’s the first diet I ever heard of where you gained weight from it.”

Kenny says this to Tub, foreshadowing Tub’s later confession that he isn’t on a diet. This statement also further characterizes Kenny as mean and belittling.

“He wore a heavy wedding band.”

The “heavy” symbolizes Frank’s marriage weighing him down or weighing heavy on his mind. The mention of the wedding ring early on foreshadows Frank later confessing to Tub that he is having an affair and is considering leaving his wife and children.

“It’s my glands.”

Tub blames being overweight on having an issue with his glands. This lie is an important reflection of Tub’s character. He feels shame for being overweight and for lying about the reason why he is overweight. It is such a burden to him that once he confesses his lies to Frank he feels much better.

“You haven’t seen your own balls in ten years.”

Frank is encouraged by Kenny’s treatment of Tub and partakes in mocking him for his weight. Frank and Kenny bond by ridiculing Tub, highlighting that the hunters know how to connect only by being cruel to someone or something else.

“As he kicked forward, the edge of the crust bruised his shins.”

Tub struggles through the snow, yet Kenny and Frank don’t stop to help him. The bruises to Tub’s shins caused by the crust of the snow symbolize the emotional bruises caused by Kenny and Frank’s behavior.

“Tub grabbed Frank by the collar and back him hard up against the fence.”

Tub finally snaps after yet another joke about his weight again. This is a pivotal moment for Tub’s character. The power dynamic of the group changes when Tub goes from being passive to aggressive. This moment of self-assertion is also selfishness, however, because Tub focuses on himself and his feelings rather than on rushing Kenny to the hospital after Tub shoots him.

“Because if me and Tub don’t get warmed up we’re going to freeze solid and then where will you be?”

This quote reflects the height of Frank and Tub’s self-absorption. Kenny is severely wounded and freezing in the back of the truck when Frank and Tub go inside a tavern to drink coffee and warm up.

“Just what the doctor ordered.”

Frank says this as the waitress brings him coffee. Wolff is using irony here to juxtapose Frank’s trivial need for coffee and Kenny’s desperate need for a doctor.

“When you’ve got a friend it means you’ve always got someone on your side, no matter what.”

This statement is another piece of subtle irony. Tub says this to Frank while they drink coffee even though they have left Kenny in the back of the truck with no one on his side. The quote also highlights the toxic nature of Tub’s support for Frank’s affair. Tub makes no effort to guide his friend away from causing his family pain and trauma.