Hunters In The Snow Literary Analysis

Elements in the short stories “Hunters in the Snow” and “The Most Dangerous Game” determine that “Hunters in the Snow” is a literary fiction and “The Most Dangerous Game” is a commercial fiction. The short story “Hunters in the Snow” by Tobias Wolff contains elements that classify the piece a literary fiction. The work has an unsettling and indeterminate denouement, which are found primarily in literary fiction; commercial works often have happy resolutions in which all loose ends are tied. The characters in “Hunters in the Snow” also contribute to it being a literary work. The characters−Kenny, Frank, and Tub−and their actions reflect and represent humanity. Every main character in “Hunters in the Snow” possess character flaws, some major …show more content…
Some elements of a commercial story are a sympathetic hero−one that many readers could possibly relate to, a defined plot in which there may be a strong element of suspense, a happy ending where all conflicts are resolved, and a general theme in which most of the story revolves around. The main purpose of “The Most Dangerous Game” is to entertain readers with a thrilling and suspenseful tale. In this piece, almost all of the conventional commercial elements are used. Rainsford is presented as the main protagonist from the beginning of the story whose philosophies regarding life are presented early on in the first scene. Rainsford believes that humans can be sorted into two categories: the hunters and the hunted; this is an example of foreshadowing. Along with the previous example, there are many instances in the exposition of blatant foreshadowing. Throughout the story, Rainsford faces one major conflict, but by the resolution he “wins” the game and all of the loose ends of the story are tied. The main characters in Connell’s story aren’t developed in a complex way throughout the story, unlike the characters in “Hunters in the Snow.” “The Most Dangerous Game” shows that even though it may be entertaining to read a commercial story, they lack the deeper elements that make up a truly eloquent and thrilling