Hunters in the Snow

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Ricardo Peralta English 1102 September 13, 2011 Hunting for Friends In Tobias Wolff’s short story “Hunters in the Snow,” the meaning of friendship and what it means to be a friend is told through a series of sad but plausible events. Through each of the main characters (Kenny, Frank and Tub) way of being, a person can speculate how they themselves are acting in their circle of friends. Yet how far can a friendship go before it breaks apart or is turned into a sadistic relationship? For this, we must examine the role of each character and how they intertwine with each other. Kenny is the loud-mouth of the bunch. He is the “frienemy,” the guy who can be a friend and enemy at the same time. He is crass, obnoxious and always says what is on his mind. “You ought to see yourself,” the driver said “He looks just like a beach ball with a hat on, doesn’t he? Doesn’t he, Frank?” (173) His personality is one of superiority. Kenny does not care that what he says or does may hurt someone; he just wants to get on with life. He is aware of all that goes on around him, yet chooses to talk about it at the wrong time. “Okay,” Kenny said. “I won’t say a word. Like I won’t say anything about a certain babysitter.” (173) “All I can say is, it’s the first diet I ever heard of where you gained weight for it.” (174) This statement lets us know that his friendship is with Frank and not Tub. It also tells us that Kenny is a type of person that has no real commitments to people. The friendships he shares depend on his interests. He does not hide anything from anyone nor does he excuse himself for his way of being. He is brutally honest and does not care whether you accept him or not. The next character is Tub. In a friendship circle, he is the one that is picked on and no one really cares what he feels. “You were lost. Big deal.” (174) Tub is the kind of person who has an obvious

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