Hunters in the Snow

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What comes to mind when you hear the title “Hunters in the Snow”? What are the associations we have with the words “hunters” and “snow”? What images and connotations do they conjure? What might we expect from a work with this title?

Teaching Suggestion: The initial associations of the words “hunter” (e.g., predator/prey, nature, violence, food, gun, animals) and “snow” (cold, winter, white, unforgiving) offer a glimpse into what students might expect to encounter in the story; with guidance, these might segue to a larger discussion on symbolic meanings, figurative associations, and predictions at thematic possibilities. Information from these or similar resources can help students develop additional context on the topic.

• This painting called Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Bruegel the Elder from Kunsthistorisches Museum is said to have inspired Wolff’s short story of the same name.
• This poem by William Carlos Williams was also inspired by Bruegel’s painting.

Short Activity

Either draw or write about something mundane or even unsightly. Describe or depict this subject or scene in a realistic rather than idealized way; include imperfections, and try to capture it as accurately as possible, warts and all. Avoid anything too curated, traditionally beautiful, or epic. For example, rather than a sunset, a battle, or a majestic cityscape, draw a cluttered room, a worn street or sidewalk, a lawn full of weeds, or the disorganized contents of a backpack.

Teaching Suggestion: Dirty Realism uses simple language to explore the darker side of everyday contemporary life. It is a subcategory of Realism, which itself is a reaction to and departure from the Romantic and Victorian era; Romanticism features epic stories of love and heroism with flowery language and exotic or dramatic natural settings. This activity provides an opportunity for students to practice observing and creating in a style similar to the short story they are about to read. Readers can review or research the characteristics of Dirty Realism once they complete their pieces of writing or art and then analyze the components of their work for evidence of the subgenre.

• This resource page provides an overview of Realism.
• This definition from Oxford Reference provides context for the subgenre Dirty Realism.
• This article from The Stanford Daily discusses the appeal and authenticity of Dirty Realism. (This source is teacher-appropriate and not student-facing due to potentially sensitive descriptions and examples. Content Warning: This source includes profanity.)

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the story.

What are the qualities of a healthy friendship? What are the core elements that bond people together in a healthy friendship? Think of a time you witnessed or experienced a friendship that was toxic (i.e., unhealthy); what did it look like? What do you think holds people together in a toxic friendship?

Teaching Suggestion: This activity may be completed as a think-pair-share activity. Have students consider the prompt, write about it, and then discuss these questions in a fishbowl or Socratic discussion.

Differentiation Suggestion: It may be beneficial to provide students who are English learners or students with shyness the chance to discuss with just one person initially. For students who benefit from strategies for better organization, it may be helpful to offer the prompt as a series of divided questions with white space for individual bulleted responses. Visual learners may benefit from creating their own graphic organizer.