Frank Character Analysis in Hunters in the Snow

Frank is, in many ways, the most powerful of the three friends, profiting from Kenny and Tub’s evident dislike of each other by switching sides when it is convenient. He believes that “[t]here are all these forces” which “you just have to go with.” Kenny calls this Frank’s “hippie bullshit,” but it could equally be seen as Frank’s philosophy of opportunism and his slightly Machiavellian passivity. Likewise, he could be seen as the most romantic and passionate of the three men—he tells Tub he is in love with his “whole being”—but Frank’s supposed sensitivity is what leads him to the selfish and destructive plan to desert his wife, Nancy, and their children, in pursuit of the underage Roxanne Brewer, who is a fifteen-year-old babysitter. His response to Tub’s confession about his compulsive overeating is also morally dubious. He orders Tub four plates of pancakes and watches with evident pleasure as Tub eats them all. Frank says it is “[b]eautiful,” as if indulging Tub’s damaging habit gratifies Frank’s aesthetic sensibility.

Frank Quotes in Hunters in the Snow

The Hunters in the Snow quotes below are all either spoken by Frank or refer to Frank. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

He looked like a cartoon of a person laughing, except that his eyes watched the man on the seat beside him. “You ought to see yourself,” the driver said. “He looks just like a beach ball with a hat on, doesn’t he? Doesn’t he, Frank?” The man beside him smiled and looked off.

Related Characters: Kenny (speaker), Frank, Tub

Page Number and Citation: 20

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Kenny has almost run over Tub with his truck just for a laugh. Kenny likens Tub to “a beach ball with a hat on,” which immediately characterizes both Kenny and Tub. The comment implies that Tub is overweight and round like a beach ball, which hints at Tub’s later-revealed secret of his struggle with overeating. However, this comment also demonstrates that Kenny is insensitive and has a cruel sense of humor. Kenny is compared to “a cartoon of a person laughing,” which also highlights how Kenny has a big personality. However, since he is compared to “a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium e

They started off across the field. Tub had trouble getting through the fences. Frank and Kenny could have helped him; they could have lifted up on the top wire and stepped on the bottom wire, but they didn’t. They stood and watched him. There were a lot of fences and Tub was puffing when they reached the woods.

Related Characters: Tub, Kenny, Frank

Page Number and Citation: 22

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, the three men travel through the opening of the woods to get to their hunting spot. Tub’s difficulty in climbing over the fences—and the fact that he is left “puffing” afterward from the physical exertion—once again emphasizes that he is overweight and far less nimble than his companions. Frank and Kenny both witness Tub’s apparent difficulty but choose not to help him. Wolff points out that it would have been easy for Frank and Kenny to offer assistance—all they would have needed to do was “lift up on the top wire and step on the bottom wire.” Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commo

The snow was light but the drifts were deep and hard to move through. Wherever Tub looked the surface was smooth, undisturbed, and after a time he lost interest. He stopped looking for tracks and just tried to keep up with Frank and Kenny on the other side.

Related Characters: Tub, Kenny, Frank

Page Number and Citation: 23

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Tub hunts alone while Kenny and Frank hunt on the other side of the riverbank. Tub struggles to wade through the thick snow drifts, which once again suggests that he is overweight. More significantly, the snow seems to symbolize the three men’s friendship, which is also difficult for Tub to navigate and is characterized by isolation and cold behavior. Despite Frank and Kenny’s constant ridicule, Tub seems to long for acceptance from them. Here, he “los[es] interest” in the hunt, instead wanting to “keep up with Frank and Kenny on the other side.” It seems that Tub Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut a

The snow was shaded and had a glaze on it. It held up Kenny and Frank but Tub kept falling through. As he kicked forward, the edge of the crust bruised his shins.

Related Characters: Frank, Tub, Kenny

Page Number and Citation: 24

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, the three men make their way to a nearby farmer’s house to ask for permission to hunt on his land. As the men trudge through the snow, Tub frequently “fall[s] through,” which again illustrates that he is overweight. Since he struggles but Kenny and Frank do not, Tub is also depicted as being set apart from his two companions, which points to the lopsided nature of the men’s friendship. Tub experiences difficulty in navigating the terrain and is physically bruised by the hardened crusts of snow, mirroring the way he struggles to navigate his relationship with Kenny Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptate

“I came out here to get me a deer, not listen to a bunch of hippie bullshit. And if it hadn’t been for dimples here I would have, too. […] And you—you’re so busy thinking about that little jailbait of yours you wouldn’t know a deer if you saw one.”

“Drop dead.”

Related Characters: Kenny (speaker), Frank (speaker), Tub, Roxanne Brewer

Page Number and Citation: 25

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Kenny lashes out at Frank for his go-with-the-flow attitude about the hunt. Kenny calls Frank’s feel-good sentiments “a bunch of hippie bullshit,” which suggests that even Kenny and Frank aren’t genuinely friends. Kenny’s comment toward Frank shows that Kenny is abrasive toward everyone—not just Tub, who has had to bear the brunt of Kenny’s verbal abuse thus far. Tub is not left unscathed in this instance, however, as Kenny rudely refers to him as “dimples,” once again making fun of Tub for being overweight. Kenny mentions Frank’s “little jailbait,” which seems to refer to the babysitter from Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempo

“I hate that post,” he said. He raised his rifle and fired. It sounded like a dry branch cracking. […] “I hate that tree,” he said, and fired again. […] “I hate that dog.” […] Kenny fired. The bullet went in between the dog’s eyes. […] Kenny turned to Tub. “I hate you.”

Related Characters: Kenny (speaker), Tub, Frank, Farmer’s Dog

Page Number and Citation: 26

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Kenny is frustrated by a fruitless hunt and takes his anger out on the things around him—a post, a tree, the farmer’s dog, and (nearly) Tub. On the surface, this moment depicts Kenny as violent, heartless, and inhumane, especially when he shoots the farmer’s dog, which is killed instantly. However, it is later revealed that the farmer asked Kenny to shoot the dog, since it is so old and sick. Kenny purposely conceals this from Frank and Tub, perhaps to make himself seem all the more tough and dominant in front of them. Even though Kenny was Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium e

“You get anything?” he asked.

“No,” Frank said.

“I knew you wouldn’t. That’s what I told the other fellow.”

“We’ve had an accident.”

[…] “Shot your friend, did you?”

Frank nodded.

“I did,” Tub said.

“I suppose you want to use the phone.”

“If it’s okay.”

Related Characters: Farmer (speaker), Frank (speaker), Tub (speaker), Kenny

Page Number and Citation: 27-28

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Frank and Tub knock on the farmer’s door to call an ambulance for Kenny, whom Tub has just shot. This conversation between Frank, Tub, and the farmer plays out slowly, emphasizing the men’s lack of urgency about Kenny’s injury. Frank in particular seems unhurried in directing the conversation toward borrowing the phone to call for an ambulance. In addition, Frank simply states, “We’ve had an accident,” which seems to refer to a small, inconsequential mistake rather than Kenny getting shot. This is the first significant instance of Frank’s neglectful, apathetic attitude toward Kenny, which will eventually have Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem.

“You fat moron,” Frank said. “You aren’t good for diddly.”

Tub grabbed Frank by the collar and backed him hard up against the fence. […] “What do you know about fat,” Tub said. “What do you know about glands.” As he spoke he kept shaking Frank. “What do you know about me.”

Related Characters: Frank (speaker), Tub (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 29

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Frank lashes out at Tub for accidentally dropping Kenny as they attempt to hoist him into the back of the truck to take him to the hospital. Frank calls Tub a “fat moron,” which seems like a comment that should come from Kenny, not Frank. Perhaps now that Kenny is vulnerable and badly injured, Frank feels the need to keep up the hostility that characterizes the men’s relationship. This passage also depicts the first time that Tub significantly stands up for himself, as he acts with uncharacteristic physical aggression. By repeating the phrase “What do you know,” Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit

“Tub, don’t you see how you’re dividing people up into categories? He’s an executive, she’s a secretary, he’s a truck driver, she’s fifteen years old. Tub, this so-called babysitter, this so-called fifteen-year-old has more in her little finger than most of us have in our entire bodies. I can tell you this little lady is something special.”

Related Characters: Frank (speaker), Tub, Roxanne Brewer

Page Number and Citation: 32

Explanation and Analysis:

Here, Frank confides in Tub that he is in love with a fifteen-year-old girl; clearly, this young girl is the “babysitter” and the “little jailbait” that Kenny mentioned earlier. Frank’s argument for the righteousness of his love is absurd. He criticizes Tub for calling the girl a fifteen-year-old, claiming that Tub is wrongly trying to categorize her. Frank lists other “categories” of people, which all relate to adult professions—an “executive,” “secretary,” and “truck driver.” Among these, the “category” of “fifteen years old” blatantly sticks out. Frank seems to want to sidestep the illegality of having a romantic relationship with an Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi n

“Nobody knows. That’s the worst of it, Frank. Not the being fat […] but the lying. Having to lead a double life like a spy or a hit man. This sounds strange but I feel sorry for those guys, I really do. I know what they go through. Always having to think about what you say and do. Always feeling like people are watching you, trying to catch you at something. Never able to just be yourself.”

Related Characters: Tub (speaker), Frank

Page Number and Citation: 34

Explanation and Analysis:

Here, Tub confides in Frank about his food addiction and struggle with overeating. Tub stresses that the most painful part of his addiction is the emotional, not physical, impact it has on him. Tub is most bothered by the way that his addiction makes him feel isolated from those around him, which implies that it must have been extra painful for Tub to be excluded by Kenny and Frank during the hunt and (presumably) throughout the course of their friendship. Tub is unbothered by “being fat,” even though his external appearance is what makes him the source of Kenny’s ridicule. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Vol

“No wiping,” he said. Tub kept at it. The syrup covered his chin; it dripped to a point like a goatee. […] Tub took the fork in his left hand and lowered his head and started really chowing down. “Clean your plate,” Frank said when the pancakes were gone, and Tub lifted each of the four plates and licked it clean. He sat back, trying to catch his breath.

“Beautiful,” Frank said. “Are you full?”

“I’m full,” Tub said. “I’ve never been so full.”

Related Characters: Frank (speaker), Tub (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 35

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Frank orders four stacks of pancakes for Tub right after Tub admits his struggles with food and overeating. Frank’s response to Tub’s secret lends itself to two readings. On the one hand, Frank seems compassionate in ordering pancakes for Tub and encouraging him to devour them openly. Frank frees Tub from having to keep his food addiction under wraps. He also encourages Tub to eat until he’s completely full, possibly as a way to curb Tub’s seemingly insatiable appetite for food. Perhaps because Tub feels forced to quickly down his snacks in private, he never eats until Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessit

Right overhead was the Big Dipper, and behind, hanging between Kenny’s toes in the direction of the hospital, was the North Star, Pole Star, Help to Sailors. As the truck twisted through the gentle hills the star went back and forth between Kenny’s boots, staying always in his sight. “I’m going to the hospital,” Kenny said. But he was wrong. They had taken a different turn a long way back.

Related Characters: Kenny (speaker), Frank, Tub

Page Number and Citation: 35

Explanation and Analysis:

Here, Kenny repeats to himself, “I’m going to the hospital,” which he’s adopted as a mantra to keep his mind off of his pain during the long drive to the hospital. It is significant that the North Star is “always in his sight” during the drive. Historically, sailors used the North Star to guide their ships back home to safety. In this way, Kenny may see the star as affirmation that he is heading in the direction of safety, meaning the hospital. However, since it is clear that Kenny will not be receiving medical attention anytime soon—considering “They had taken Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur.

Frank Character Timeline in Hunters in the Snow

The timeline below shows where the character Frank appears in Hunters in the Snow. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...hysterically. “He looks just like a beach ball with a hat on,” Kenny says to Frank (the man in the passenger seat), and Frank smiles. (full context)

Telling the men that they could have killed him, Tub gets in the car, causing Frank to slide over to the middle seat. Frank reasons that Tub should be “mellow,” since... (full context)

When they arrive at the woods, Tub says that he’s cold and Frank tells him to “stop bitching” and “get centered.” Kenny mocks Frank for using the word... (full context)

Narcissism, Neglect, and the Dereliction of Duty Theme Icon

...of them set off towards the woods. Tub, who is less nimble than Kenny and Frank, finds it difficult to get through fences and the snow, but instead of helping him,... (full context)

...he is trying to lose weight. Kenny teases Tub for being on a diet, and Frank, much to Kenny’s glee, tells Tub that he so fat that he hasn’t “seen [his]... (full context)

...woods and start hunting along a creek, looking for tracks. They split up, Kenny and Frank on one bank and Tub alone on the other. In an effort to keep up... (full context)

...woods but come to a no hunting sign. Kenny wants to ignore the sign, but Frank insists that they ask the farmer who owns the land for permission to hunt on... (full context)

They head back to the truck and Tub lags behind Kenny and Frank again—so far behind that he can’t even their voices anymore. Tired and dispirited, Tub sits... (full context)

...need of repainting, Kenny goes in alone to get the farmer’s permission. Meanwhile, Tub tells Frank that Frank has “a short memory,” because he has evidently forgotten that Tub “used to... (full context)

...and snarling back, until the dog retreats in fear, “peeing a little as he went.” Frank says that the dog is “Fifteen years if he’s a day.” Kenny says it is... (full context)

...“This will be the first season since I was fifteen I haven’t got my deer.” Frank tells Kenny that he can’t blame the deer, but that “There are all these forces... (full context)

...Kenny starts saying he “hate[s]” things—a post, then a tree—and shooting them with his rifle. Frank tells him to “Knock it off,” but Kenny merely looks at Tub and smiles. Tub... (full context)

Kenny crumples onto the snow. Tub calls Frank’s name, but Frank doesn’t react. Kenny, rocking on the snow in pain, says it was... (full context)

Frank, as if in disbelief, says to Tub, “You shot him.” Tub, weeping, attempts to exculpate... (full context)

Tub suggests they call an ambulance, but Frank isn’t sure, asking, “What are we going to say?” Tub replies that they will say... (full context)

...bleeding in the snow but taking his rifle in case Kenny “get[s] ideas,” Tub and Frank head towards the farmhouse. They have to knock twice before the farmer answers. He asks... (full context)

In the farmhouse, there is a woman with a sleeping child. While Frank goes away to phone the ambulance, Tub confesses to the farmer that Kenny shot his... (full context)

Frank returns with the news that the nearest hospital is fifty miles away and there are... (full context)

It is entirely dark outside now and the wind is up. Frank retrieves the boards while Tub looks for Kenny. Kenny is not where they left him,... (full context)

Frank returns with the boards and Kenny makes a joke about hoping that he doesn’t have... (full context)

Frank lifts Kenny back onto the boards and into the bed of the truck and covers... (full context)

Snow and wind get into the car through the broken windshield, and soon Frank’s fingers are too cold to drive. They stop at a tavern where they see dead... (full context)

In the tavern, the waitress brings some coffee over, and Frank says, “Just what the doctor ordered.” Frank concedes to Tub that he doesn’t pay attention... (full context)

Tub shakes his head and starts to guess how young the babysitter is, but Frank interrupts him, saying she’s “Fifteen.” Tub, shocked and disapproving, says that “she doesn’t have breasts.”... (full context)

...tried to escape. They lift him back into the truck and he complains: “It hurts, Frank.” Frank says it wouldn’t hurt if he “stayed put,” and tells him to say the... (full context)

...again, Tub realizes that he has left the directions to the hospital at the tavern. Frank reassures him that he can remember the way. (full context)

Soon, Frank and Tub are too cold to continue again. They pull over at a roadhouse. While... (full context)

Tub asks Frank if he thinks he is “disgusting.” Frank responds by ordering Tub four plates of pancakes,... (full context)

Back at the truck, Kenny’s blankets have blown off again. Frank says that they should use the blankets themselves. Kenny is still repeating “I’m going to... (full context)

On the road again, Tub tells Frank what the farmer told him: that he had asked Kenny to shoot the dog. Rather... (full context)

...the stars, saying to himself that he is going to the hospital. He isn’t, though; Frank accidentally took “a different turn a long way back.” (full context)

Frank Character Analysis

Frank Quotes in Hunters in the Snow

Hunters in the Snow Quotes

Frank Character Timeline in Hunters in the Snow