Concerning "Hunters in the Snow"

"Hunters in the Snow" is a story that begins with a fairly prosaic opening and veers slowly into the surreal. The dialogue is handled in a very clean and unobtrusive fashion throughout, and generally follows the guidelines we went over in class in the hopes of keeping things streamlined. I agree with Amy on the importance of Tub's name and its relation to his character. Not only does it immediately give the reader a good impression of his weight, it also hints at the distance he suffers from Kenny and Frank for the first half of the story. Short and colloquial, his name sets him apart from his companions.

Something that really interested me about the story was the fact that the tone never seemed to change. One would imagine that the narration and the pace would grow more frantic after Tubs shoots Kenny (and unfortunately years of South Park viewing won't allow me to type that sentence without giggling) but it continues to amble along in an almost apathetic manner. This and the apparent lack of concern for Kenny's well being in favor of exploring Frank and Tub's own character defects certainly adds to the surreal quality of the story. Heavily character driven, this story examines the minutia of the relationship between Frank and Tubs and their own personal tribulations at the probable expense of Kenny's life.