Kenny, Frank, and Tub have no need for enemies; they have each other. The three friends in "Hunters in the Snow" share an interesting dynamic to say the least, constantly stabbing at each others' weaknesses in the spirit of humor. Kenny, characterized by his biting remarks and commanding attitude, stands as the arrogant, self-absorbed leader of the three while Frank, throwing in a snide remark every now and then, plays the role of hopeless follower. Tub, in contrast, serves as the fool, enduring hurtful comments concerning his weight from Kenny and Frank for their amusement. As the plot develops, events like Tub shooting Kenny help to characterize the men further and even add role reversals into their relationships. After Kenny's accident, Tub assumes the leadership role Kenny held and Kenny becomes the last of the men's priorities as Tub had been. Frank even shifts his allegiance between the two, saying to Tub about Kenny's accident, "I just want you to know it wasn't you fault. He was asking for it," (Wolff 196). After this statement, in another interesting and characterizing plot twist, Tub and Frank open up to each other and bond over their iniquities. Frank begins by explaining to Tub his love (actually perverse lust) for a fifteen-year-old girl that babysits his children. Moved in a strange way, Tub confesses to Frank that he lives the life of a glutton and does not actually have gland problems. Brought closer to each other by their sins, the two ignore Kenny, still bleeding out from Tub's bullet. The story, seeming to do nothing more but describe the antics of three horrible human beings, left me curious as to its underlying message.
No comments:
Post a Comment