Great stories need to be filled with memorable characters and those characters need not necessarily be likable. “Hunters in the Snow” by Tobias Wolff appears in the author’s collection In the Garden of the North American Martyrs. Literary realism’s focus on everyday people and situations stands in stark contrast to works that present a more romanticized version of life. Wolff’s fiction takes genre matters a step further into the minimalist style of dirty realism with its focus on life’s less pleasant aspects.
The simple plot and broken characters of “Hunters in the Snow” occupy a spot on the list of short stories that have influenced my writing style. The story focuses on three men who take a hunting trip outside of Spokane, Washington. Needless to say, they don’t shoot any deer and their bumbling ways keep the reader riveted. The opening line, “Tub had been waiting for an hour in the falling snow,” immediately conveys a lack of responsible behavior. It becomes clear that the truck’s heater is broken. Once on the road, they stop twice for coffee before they finally making it late to the woods.
Most of the character magic in “Hunters in the Snow” comes from how Tobias Wolff reveals character through dialogue. The following excerpt helps provide a sense of the story’s excellent use of dialogue to establish character. It’s also important to note the story is told from a third-person objective point of view. The reader is not allowed access to the characters’ mindset. Surface detail and actions are used to carry the story.
When they were coming up to the barn Kenny stopped and pointed. “I hate that post,” he said. He raised his rifle and fired. It sounded like a dry branch cracking. The post splintered along its right side, up toward the top. “There,” Kenny said. “It’s dead.”
“Knock it off,” Frank said, walking ahead.
Kenny looked at Tub. He smiled. “I hate that tree,” he said, and fired again. Tub hurried to catch up with Frank. He started to speak but just then the dog ran out of the barn and barked at them. “Easy, boy,” Frank said.
“I hate that dog.” Kenny was behind them.
“That’s enough,” Frank said. “You put that gun down.”
Kenny fired. The bullet went in between the dog’s eyes. He sank right down into the snow, his legs splayed out on each side, his yellow eyes open and staring. Except for the blood he looked like a small bearskin rug. The blood ran down the dog’s muzzle into the snow.
They all looked at the dog lying there.
“What did he ever do to you?” Tub asked. “He was just barking.”
Kenny turned to Tub. “I hate you.”
Tub shot from the waist. Kenny jerked backward against the fence and buckled to his knees.
They use the phone at a nearby house only to find out the closest hospital is over fifty miles away and its ambulances are all being used elsewehre. Frank and Tub use a board to carry Kenny back to the truck, but in typical style they drop him along the way, causing his already tender stomach wound to hurt even more.
Once back on the road, Tub utters an ominous line. “’That’s true, Frank. You don’t pay attention very much.’” Frank then announces his hands are freezing up. He and Tub end up stopping not once, but twice to get warm. Each time, Kenny must wait in the cold truck bed. In the meantime Frank and Tub share conversation that offers insight into their miserable lives. At no point does Wolff lead his readers to judge the characters. The third-person objective viewpoint allows the reader to come to their own conclusions regarding what makes these men tick.
Tub delivers an ironic line about the dog near the story’s end. They keep driving through the dark on the slick and snowy roads. Kenny is still conscious and thinks they’re still headed to the hospital. The story ends abruptly, wrapping the reader in dread for what’s to come.
What unlikable but memorable characters from the page or screen have captivated you?
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Article by Jeri Walker-Bickett aka JeriWB
What a fascinating read that would be. I do hate the part about the dog though because I am such an animal lover. Nevertheless it does sound like a well crafted book and worth a look.
Susan, what happens to the dog is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg!
This is excellent, albeit a tad brutal. After submitting this comment I need to go cheer myself up! I like how you can actually breathe the hopelessness in the lives of the 3 characters. Mr. Wolff writes very well, but hopefully he has some stories that are a little bit more uplifting.
Rolando, he definitely belongs to the camp or dirty realist writers where life is lacking sunshine and rainbows, but this is one of his bleakest. Yikes! What kind of a reader does that make me 😉 I’ve yet to read his memoir This Boy’s Life but I did love the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro.
I like the review, but I could not handle this kind of story.
Cheryl, that’s perfectly understandable.
Wow! Not uplifting, but the writing is inspired. Great dialogue. I too like a little of this now and again if only to see this bleak world where some people live and be grateful it’s not my world 🙂
Jacquie, would you believe that my world includes lots of characters like Tub and Kenny? It must be something in the Northwest air and water 😉 Maybe that’s why I’m so drawn to this type of literary realism.
Oddly, I think I would love this stuff. I am pretty sure I haven’t read anything of his before. Will have to add it to my list.
This is one of his darkest and most well-known stories. If you google it, you can find the entire text of the story online. It’s widely anthologized as well. Of course I could never use it in the classroom due to all the cussing…
I think the best mystery stories are ambiguous. The writer doesn’t give you all the answers. You have to fill them in yourself. You can accept that he shoots the post but then the dog and finally his friend grabs you right away. You can only guess what happens to Kenny. As a P.S., love your new design and tag line: “Make every word count.” So true.
Jeannette, the ending of this story really leaves a hollow feel in the pit of the readers stomach as the men drive into the cold unknown. P.S. Thanks. I think the tagline “Make every word count” will be the one that finally sticks.
Wow! Talk about gritty…but it intrigued me.
As for my favorite memorable, yet unlikable character? That would have to be Miz Scarlett O’Hara. She was so well written, though, that even if I didn’t like her very much, she was relatable. I think that makes a huge difference sometimes.
Kitt, the grittier the better is what I say. I’d have to agree with your choice of Scarlett O’Hara. I finally read GWTW a few years ago, and loved how appalled yet fascinated I remained with her character throughout the whole book.
I third that! Scarlett O’Hara is a stand out.
Laura, another unlikable but intriguing character that comes to my mind is Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. I’m listening to the audio version now and had forgotten how well the author pits McMurphy against the big nurse. Such good stuff there…
I think this is an interesting style – not letting us know what anyone is thinking. Unsavory stuff for sure but I think I will read it.
Beth, many writers from this genre use third-person objective. I’ve written a few stories that way, but it’s really hard not to go into the headspace of any of the characters.
Hi Jeri, sorry I’m getting over here late. Yikes, give me a head’s up next time, dear. Just to be real honest…the part about the dog really tore me up. Yes, I know to most readers it’s just a dog…but I won’t read anything like that. That’s not on you, our friend. Good review but I didn’t need to read that before going to bed with my kid 🙁
I do love your reviews…please know that 🙂
Mike, if you ever get a chance to read the whole story you would see the dog’s death was actually requested by its owner. I didn’t want to give all the details away here.This definitely wouldn’t be a story to read to Phoenix that much is sure.
This would make a great Comedy film. The story is gruesome yet funny. I could picturise Frank and tub dropping Kenny along the way!!
Mini, I’m actually pretty surprised that this story hasn’t been made into a movie yet. So much potential exists for filming possibilities.
The characters sound like a country rendition of the Three Stooges. I mean that in a good way. But the dog? That made me sad.
An unlikeable but memorable character from a book is Inspector Fumero from The Shadow of the Wind. He’s a character you grow to hate more and more.
Denise, I haven’t read The Shadow of the Wind. I think I’ll head over to Amazon and check it out.
Wolff is such a fine writer. I’d read more of him were it not for his dark and bleak vision. I did read “This Boy’s Life” before seeing the movie. So good and so painful at the same time, you know what I mean?
Jagoda, I have yet to read his memoir, but it’s been on my shelf for a few years now. I know I would like it. I did teach one chapter of it as part of a memoir unit in the creative writing class I used to teach. I love everything about Wolff’s style.
WOW!
The reader learns so much so quickly with such an economy of words.
Candy, any author such as Wolff who can yield words so concisely immediately wins my respect 🙂
Great dialogue.
Fabulous action.
Superb author.
But I HAaaaaaaTE the content about the poor damn dog!
Xx
Kim, the part about the dog is tough stuff. I took a workshop in college where the professor put a ban on killing dogs in stories, though he was guilty as charged in his own published work. The death of pets as well as children is a touch selling point for many, and understandably so.
Wonderful to learn more about this book here!
Christy, I’ve been meaning to read more of Wolff for quite some time. I learn so much about possibilities for crafting my own stories when I do.
I am with Susan, shooting the dog put me in a sad mood. I hate Kenny too 🙂
As always you have piqued my interest in a book I probably would not have been exposed to.
Becc, I’m glad I can bring books to your attention that you normally wouldn’t come across.
This sounds like an interesting story. Tub seems like he is a little off.
Jason, all three characters in Wolff’s story are definitely a bit off. I tend to be drawn to that type of characterization in a lot of the literature I read.
It took so few lines to paint such a striking story. I was so startled by the dog’s death that I didn’t question Tub’s reaction at all when Kenny says, “I hate you.”
Debra, Wolff is certainly a great example of an economical writer. I try to do the same with my sentences when I write in hopes of someday being as good as Wolff. I cut and cut and cut, and still always end up finding more to get rid of.
I am trying to decide – would I want to read this? Would it upset me too much? I also felt for the dog, more than for the humans. I find your note about knowing people like this in real life intriguing. I can’t imagine just going around shooting. No self-awareness here.
Leora, this is one of Wolff’s more gut-wrenching short stories. I’m aiming to read his memoir This Boy’s Life at some point during this year. I saw the movie ages ago. It’s safe to say Wolff comes from a rough background, plus he drew up in the Cascade Mountains. I even had a friend in Boston tell me there’s a hardness to people in my neck of the woods he hasn’t seen elsewhere. At one point he cooked for awhile at a place in Butte, MT before heading back East. And yes, I really do know people like Kenny and Tub. Lots of them.