Why do you think the hunter is in the story? The lady on the street? The nurse?

During the
story, Phoenix interacts with each of these three characters, all of whom are white. Through
these incidents, the racial elements in the story are developed. However, each time Phoenix
interacts with the three, her own character is developed, as well, and we come to know and
respect her even more.

The incident with the hunter and his dog shows how
frail and vulnerable Phoenix really is as she makes the long journey into town on the cold
December day. She falls and cannot right herself. If the hunter had not pulled her to her feet,
she surely would have died there by the road. Phoenix risks her life each time she goes for the
medicine for her grandson whom she loves so much. Also, she shows no fear of the hunter's gun,
saying coolly that she had seen guns before. Her remark implies the racism she had encountered
as a black person growing up in Mississippi long before racial justice became a social issue.
The hunter's disrespectful attitude toward her also suggests the racism...