Analysis Of Tobias Wolff 's ' Hunters

The character of Tub was presented in the opening scene as someone who would not stand up for himself and was willing to be ridiculed and made fun of to be part of a group. He allowed his friends to take advantage of him by making him wait over an hour in the cold and snow, accepting this behavior without even an apology. Tub was a character with low self esteem and was embarrassed of his weight, which allows him to make excuses and lie to everyone. The assessment of Tub did not change at the end of the story. He was

He remembered reading a Consumer Product Safety Commission flyer on hot tubs and wondered if the tub

____C___ 2. After I slid my aching bones into the hot water of the tub, I realized there was no soap. I didn’t want to get out again.

beaten, robbed, “hungry” and “helpless.” This proves to be the most soul-crushing thing in his pathetic life. However in the midst of a mental breakdown, he is “stunned” by

1) The paramedics on the scene observed empty bottles of wine around the perimeter of the hot tub. The bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Underhill lie at the bottom of the tub which had a noticeably above average temperature. The couple was determined to have been dead long before the paramedics arrived. It was also mentioned that Mr. Underhill had taken Lasix before entering the hot tub.

That’s the way I feel about it’” (39). Despite how manly Tub is supposed to be as a man, the two men have this special bond together and they show it. Tub then tells Frank, ‘”When I said that about my glands, that wasn’t true. The truth is I just shovel it in’” (40). Regardless being made fun of or picked on about Tub’s weight and clumsiness, Tub is yet a good listener and a great friend.

the tub, that you know of, did Mr. and Mrs. Underhill have a history of drinking and using the hot tub

Kenny at the start of the story drives recklessly in his truck on his way to pick up Tub. This could have been an attempt to impress Frank and to continue to mess with tub. Tubs distance from the other two friends is shown immediately when he has to ride in the bed of the truck, while Frank and Kenny are in the cab of the truck. The separation between tub and his friend’s continues to show throughout the story. An example of this is when “Kenny and Frank pulled ahead of him [Tub], to where he couldn’t even hear their voices anymore” (169). Tub continues to be separated from the group because he is the weakest of the three. Tub is the only one who continues to complain about the trip and is the worst hunter out of the other men. This only causes him to be the target for Franks and Kenny’s jokes. Tub’s experience on the trip was not what he had expected. For Frank he follows in Kenny’s path rather than tub because he would rather be like Kenny more than Tub. So when Kenny continues to follow a trail faster than Tub can keep up with he chooses to keep up with Kenny and leave Tub behind. “Cruelty a result of a lack of empathy, is apparent throughout” (Constantakis). Franks choice provokes Kenny to act out more and continue to be violent and makes Tub feel like more of an outcast.

Taylor takes in Turtle, her new daughter, and begins to care and love her even though she knows nothing about Turtle and her past life; demonstrating how Kingsolver believes anybody can move on from a tough past if somebody is there and cares about them. Taylor asks the manager of the bed and breakfast she wishes to stay at: “you won't mind if I just bring the poor kid in here to warm up while you decide”(22). Even though Taylor has just been given Turtle

1. The paramedics found empty wine bottles on the ledge surrounding the hot tub, and the bodies of Roma and Clint Underhill on the bottom of the hot tub. The water of the hot tub seemed way too hot and the Underhill’s had both been dead for a while when the paramedics arrived.

Tobias Wolff uses imagery in his short story “Bullet in the Brain” provides a visual portrait that captures attention. He clarifies in an interview with Sanford University what short stories require, “You want large results from it, and you 're compelled by its very shortness to using all your resources of language, form and understanding” (Schrieberg 1998). He uses language in the story offering instances of imagery to describe the media critic. Anders is portrayed as weary, and elegantly savage in his reviews. In each scene of the story Anders observes and uses biting words to offer his approval or distaste. He uses words to critique events while waiting with the customers at the bank, with the thieves and with the shot starting his recollections. There is a deeper vision into his brain not only with the speeding bullet but incite to words. The use of imagery in the short story provides a distorted image of the character Anders, not the real image of a man with the passion for words and the happiness they create.

In the short story Bullet in the Brain, Tobias Wolff creates a sarcastically doughty character by the name of Anders. However, it becomes transparent that beneath this stone-cold portrayal of a man resides a troubled past. Throughout the story, Ander’s life struggles slowly begin to show through the cracks, giving the reader insight into what has turned him into such a hateful man. Another interesting character in the story is the man who takes charge of the robbery. He remains unnamed for the entirety of the happenings, and, although he is not alone in committing this crime, plays an important role in framing the theme of Wolff’s work. Wolff uses literary strategies such as imagery and extreme detail to pull the reader into the story, lock in their attention, and relate the symbolism and emotion of what’s happening. These devices have a great effect on the story.

This is hinted at when Tub scarfs down two sandwiches and cookies when they were hunting. Through the story, Tub gained confidence to confront his friends and the courage to reveal his secret (86-99).

Tim also struggled with breaking old habits of behavior that existed prior to entering into treatment with this provider. Namely, using his medical condition, diabetes type 1, to gain sympathy, excuse his lethargy when it came to treatment work and attendance, as well as his reluctance to discuss his inner most secrets as it related to his

Nonetheless, the Narrator begins to fall back into his old habits and his life is once again a disappointment. When traveling on a plane for work, he meets a soap salesman, Tyler Durden. The soap he makes is constructed by stolen fat from human liposuction clinics, which shows a glimpse of the corruption in Tyler Durden’s personality. The zeal, power, and confidence immediately attract the Narrator to Tyler. He feels drawn to Tyler and is constantly trying to grasp