"Hunters in the Snow" by Tobias Wolff

7. What is the purpose of the scene in which Frank and Tub stop at the tavern for food and coffee, leaving the wounded Kenny in the back of the truck?

The purpose of this scene is to highlight the level of selfishness each of these characters possess. Each one of them is so absorbed in their own issue that they fail to help one another as supposedly "best friends" would do. The problem I found with Kenny was that he was overall a cruel character. He mercilessly teased Tub about his weight and killed a sick dog without a moment's hesitation. My initial reaction to him being shot was that he had it coming for himself. Frank, on the other hand, was lusting for a different woman than his wife. Perhaps even more unsettling was the fact that it was his 15 year old babysitter rather than anyone remotely his age. He had decided he was going to leave his wife for her, but this was what made him most selfish in my opinion because he had neglected to think about the effects this would have on his children. He was only thinking for himself without considering the consequences of these actions. And last but not least, Tub was selfish in yet another aspect. He was a glutton and had allowed himself to become obese by gorging himself with inordinate amounts of food. He tried to keep this a secret from everyone, blaming it on his "glands" so that no one would judge him. While Frank and Tub stopped at the tavern for food, I found the description of the four plates of pancakes he ate slightly sickening. There was also some significant irony involved with their tavern pit stop. While they were inside talking about how they would support one another with their problems, meanwhile Kenny had been left outside in the bed of his truck to die. The weather conditions were freezing and he was suffering a bullet wound, yet neither of his friends seemed to be concerned about his health. They should have been rushing him to the hospital but instead they were worried about themselves. Clearly, their levels of selfishness were extreme.