Anyway, Mrs. Hayes probably thinks Jason wishes he were out hunting, ha, what a joke. Jason’s dad offered to take him…but then he never called back when he said he would. He was probably waiting for Jason to call him back, and Jason was busy…Jason doesn’t think he could shoot something as helpless as a deer anyway.”
This story switches from each characters’ point of view which places a very interesting twist on it. The hunting season effects each individual person differently and causes them to feel their own hang ups about the impromptu holiday. It seems like a ritual for the young men and completely bypasses any young women who might be interested in the sport. Jason, as a male who prefers sketching over killing animals, seems to find the day barbaric and something he would rather leave to men like his father. He brings up the helplessness of the deer which can mirror the helplessness he feels when dealing with Jenny and her boyfriend’s crew. Due to his social awkwardness and complete lack of interest in something “Jenny’s boyfriend and the rest of the rednecks” (Boggs 4) would like, he stays indoors with the girls and listens to the gun shots sounding in the distance.
As a person who grew up in rural Pennsylvania, the importance of showing male dominance in the form of hunting is something very familiar to me. Not only is it a ritual, it is a subject often discussed in class once the boys return. How much game was shot is boasted amongst the male youth and often leads to heated debates on hunting techniques and shooting accuracy. As a person who was more interested in affairs on a more intellectual level, I identify with Jason in not really caring about the hunting day. It was often not even on my radar; just a peaceful day that I was free from testosterone dominating the classroom.