The heavy snow forms a hostile, cruel, and oppressive environment in “Hunters in the Snow,” which symbolizes the hostility and cruelty between Frank, Kenny, and Tub. Tub, waiting in the falling snow for his friends to arrive, symbolizes the coldness and hostile relationship among the three men. Tub’s struggles to keep “fighting through the snow” (he could hear “his heart and felt the flush on his face”) mirror the difficulty he has navigating his friendships (23). Kenny and Frank choose not to help Tub when he is struggling, thus causing him to get bruises from the crust of the snow. These bruises mirror the emotional bruises inflicted on Tub. Similarly, the cruelty of the snow mirrors Frank and Tub’s cruelty when they twice leave Kenny in the truck to warm themselves. Essentially, the characters’ hearts and behavior are as cold as the snow.

The truck is a symbol of the neglect shown by the three characters. The truck’s windshield and heater are broken, yet they choose to use it as transportation. This choice reflects the three men choosing to remain friends despite the neglect between them. The neglect can be seen when