Dominance vs. Weakness in Tobias Woolf's Hunters in the Snow
             In "Hunters in the Snow", Tobias Woolf creates a tense and vindictive mood that quickly breeds irrationality and spite amid the three main characters. As the story unfolds and the elements take their toll, the true natures of Tub, Frank, and Kenny are quickly exposed. The three seemingly simple men are soon shown as weak, cruel, and utterly panicked. A fierce need for superiority coupled with varying degrees of personal weakness brings about an intricate level of resentment and blatant indifference for one another that results in deception, betrayal, and murder.
             The story begins with Tub pacing outside in the snow, and along with his introduction comes one of the first signs of the three-man hierarchy: his name. "Tub" is a childish nickname bestowed upon him by his hunting partners due to his weight problem. His place at the bottom of the chain of command already seems secure. Kenny's apathy and callousness are introduced before his name is ever mentioned, and it becomes apparent that there is a thin layer of insecurity beneath his bullying exterior: "He looked like the cartoon of a man laughing, except that his eyes watched the man on the seat beside him (113)." After Tub's embarrassing fall at the hands of Kenny, he meekly protests, but he is quickly quieted by Frank, who tells Tub that "you haven't done anything but complain since we got here (113)", although they have only been there for a matter of minutes. As "the cold and snow tunneled right into the cab (113)", the elements begin to take their physical toll on the men. With no heat and direct exposure to the freezing outside, Tub begins to rub his hands together for warmth, but with a somewhat subtle jab of dominance, Frank forces him to endure it for no other reason than self-satisfaction.
             A few moments later, Kenny becomes irritated at Fra...