the three stooges

The stupidity of a few of the characters in Tobias Wolff's short story Hunters in the Snow made it almost painful to read!  However, the story's plot and events are driven by the characterization of Tub, Kenny, and Frank.  Frank, while often accused of not bothering to pay attention to anything, is the most down to earth and wise character in the story.  He is the only realistic/reasonable character of the three!  "'You can't hurry nature.  If we're meant to get that deer, we'll get it.  If we're not, we won't'" (Wolff, 190).  He is calm and accepting of whatever may happen to him.  Kenny, who at one point accuses Frank of being a hippie, is the wild, unpredictable one.  He hides whatever real feelings he has about something by being cruel to Tub, making jokes, or doing something outrageous.  When the farmer's dog was barking at the three men, "Kenny got down on all fours and snarled and barked back at him..." (Wolff, 191).  Throughout the course of the short story, Kenny almost ran over Tub, verbally abused him, went on a random shooting spree, and got himself shot.  Tub is the victim for the majority of the tale.  He is constantly laughed at and looked down upon by his so-called "friends".