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.