Thursday, February 28, 2013

Hunters in the Snow

"Hunters in the Snow" by Tobias Wolff

"Now we're going to the hospital,(Wolff, 199)" promised Frank. But he lied. He and Tub weren't really taking their friend to the hospital because they didn't care enough to get him there. The main theme of the piece is each person's individual focus on their own problems that overshadows their care for those around them. While Kenny lies, bleeding out, in the back of the truck, Frank and Tub explore their personal struggles with overeating and a romantic scandal. The author purposely leaves the story unfinished (we do not know if Kenny reaches the hospital in time) to point to the greater meaning that the issues we face as humans are never fully resolved. The story is filled with symbolism such as Kenny's life-threatening accident that reveals that no matter the extremity of another person's situation, it is difficult for us to look past our minor issues to help another.
 

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