Hunters in the Snow

“Tub had been waiting for an hour in the falling snow.”

The opening sentence of “Hunters in the Snow” conveys two things that are important in terms of theme and characterization: First, Tub’s friends are traveling together without Tub and are inconsiderate in being late, and second, the setting is in the cold and snow. The setting symbolizes the cold and hostile dynamic in this friend group.

“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.