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Abner Snopes Character Analysis: Main Character in Barn Burning
By William Faulkner
In William Faulkner’s Short story the ‘Barn Burning’ the audience who is the reader are given a chance to meet the main character and his deeds throughout the story. Faulkner illustrates Abner as strong ad a father who uses his authority over his family to secure loyalty even though it meant that it undermines their moral beliefs individually. (SparkNotes: Barn Burning: Character List)
Compassion and desire are what a father figure is mostly known for having, for the interest of the family. Besides, it is not the case in the Short story ‘Barn Burning’ written by William Faulkner. Abner Snopes, complete indifference for other people, he commits incendiary crimes so that he wreaks devastations opposed to his victims in a game of disrespect and hatred. His actions made and forced his family to move continuously from place to place. He nevertheless has prepared for each relocation, and his activities planned for keenly. He hits his wife and children without any emotion, and he performs and commits the incendiary crimes with the same lack of feeling and lack of respect. Abner is resentful, insulting and uncaring.
Abner is represented as not having emotions and also has a hateful character. In the start point of the story, he directs his vengeance against Mr. Harris and burns his barn; this happened after Mr. Harris warned Abner about allowing the hog to get into Harris’ corn three times. “…The hog got into my corn…a nigger came with a dollar and got the hog…” This quote shows that Abner called his vengeance to his victims with sheer cunning. Another instance of his cruel deeds occurred when Abner got in the home of Major de Spain, the person he will be sharecropping soon. “He examined the house with brief deliberation…with the same deliberation he turned….leaving a final long and fading smear.” The quotation illustrates his vengefulness and hatred towards Major de Spain. Abner analyses the house and sees how perfect it is for the last time. He takes his vengeance against Major de Spain’s success marking the house using the manure on his shoes. Finally, his act of vengefulness portrayed when major de Spain was to receive ten bushels of corn for the damage that made to his rug. Abner then tries to burn Major de Spain’s barn too. “…get that can of oil…” This quotation indicates that Abner deliberated to burn the barn that belonged to Major de Spain as an act of vengefulness for forcing him to pay ten bushels of corn. Abner Snopes is therefore a resentful and unfeeling man.
Abner Snopes is an insulting man. He hits his wife and children many times. One incident occurred when Sarty reasons to tell the court that his father had perpetrated a crime. “You were fixing to tell them… His father struck him…” This quote is when Abner struck and raises his voice on Sarty, it illustrates that he mistreated his son physically and verbally. Another instance that brings evidence that Abner is an abusive and insulting person is when Sarty asked a question. “…If I had said they only wanted truth…he would have hit me again.” This quotation illustrates that Sarty mistreated physically so many times that he knew when to expect and in some incidences how to avoid the confrontation. Abner mistreated his wife in addition to his children. Abner struck his wife when he was composing himself to burn down Major de Spain’s barn. “He flung her back…against the wall.” His abuse is heartless and cold, but physical abuse just the same.
Abner is completely heartless in his actions. The tone of his voice is “…cold, dead, voice speaking…” which has no emotions at all. Another instance is when he portrays an emotionless and unfeeling composure when he addresses justice in court. “…his voice cold and harsh, level, without emphasis…” Although Abner is in a serious situation, he is always cold and heartless. He does not use any prominence in everything that he says in court even though it meant that it would dictate if he is proven guilty or innocent in court. In everything that Abner does including the physical barbarism, he remains to have the same self-control. For instance, he “…struck him [Sarty]… Hard but without heat…exactly as he had struck the two mules…” – With the same lack of judgment. This lack of emotion or compassion is the same in all incidences despite the nature of the situation at hand and who or what it may concern. He tells the servant to get out of his way without any emotions or feelings. “Get out of my way… without heat too…” His voice is emotionless when he Sarty undoubted his authority. “…’aren’t you going even to send a nigger?’…the face stooping…breathless and frozen ferocity…”This quotation incorporates Abner Snopes general heartless being. Abner Snopes is insensitive and unemotional.
Abner Snopes is vengeful, physically and verbally insulting, and has no feelings or emotions He perpetrates crimes upon other people so that he can invoke his revenge against them. He mistreats his family physically and verbally. A beer Snopes avoids following the rules and the law; this way he does not respect the properties of others an even the people themselves. Abner Snopes is a heartless unreasonable and unsympathetic retribution arsonist.
Works Cited
SparkNotes: Barn Burning: Character List. https://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/barn-burning/characters/. Accessed 2 Apr. 2019.