Abner Snopes Essay

for his short stories with a constant theme of Southern Renaissance, racism and modernism uses these themes as a constant reference throughout the story. Faulkner focuses in depth on the antagonist, Abner Snopes and his actions and how they impact other characters throughout the story. I believe Abner was continuously portrayed as a negative character throughout the short story by Abner’s aggressiveness towards everyone he comes in contact with, Faulkner’s depiction of Abner’s selfishness, and his

In his acceptance speech for the 1949 Nobel Prize for Literature, the American laureate writer, William Faulkner provided insight to what he felt is the only important subject worth writing about; “the human heart in conflict with itself.” After reading the entire speech and putting that phrase in context, I believe he was referring to a shift authors were making at that time in writing about external forces, which are not universally relevant. William Faulkner believed it more important to write

contributed to it. A huge number of sharecroppers were freed slaves, with some few poor white men such as Abner Snopes, the antagonist of the ‘Barn Burning’, worked as one. This system profited the landowners to the detriment of the sharecropper (like Abner Snopes), which contributed to him been “at odds with the very notion of social order”(Bertonneau) hence the writer diction of describing Abner as a “wolf-like and ferocious” which rendered him a misfit in the society and vengeance through fear with

Sartoris (Sarty) Snopes is a young boy in William Faulkner’s story Barn Burning whose inner conflict causes him to make a choice between his family and his conscience. He seems to have unspoken intelligence that allows him to think independently of his controlling father. Sarty chooses to obey his own moral code rather than to remain loyal to his family because of how Sarty views his father’s actions throughout the story. Its clear from the beginning of Barn Burning that Sarty’s moral integrity is

because Abner Snopes, Sarty’s dad, puts such an emphasis on being loyal to the family at whatever cost. Sarty stays conflicted over loyalty to his family or loyalty to what is right until he gets his freedom. Sarty respects his father and is very loyal to his family. This is part of the conflict because, “Sarty struggles to understand his father 's downward spiral of anger,” (Osborne 1) yet he stills knows Abner is very strict when it comes to family loyalty. Abner expects a lot, “Ab Snopes has created

these from his small town upbringing. Symbolism is also another element of fiction that Faulkner employs. The planter’s mansion is a central symbol in this story. Major De Spain’s mansion is primarily a symbol of security here. When Sarty, Abner Snopes’ son, sees it for the first time he is overcome with a feeling of peace. Never before has he seen anything that is so big and powerful that it is beyond the ability of his father to destroy. “He saw the house for the first time and at that instant

and anger, Abner makes slights to the upper class by befouling the landowner’s house, while also lashing out the Negro servant by calling him a “nigger” and completely disregarding his instructions (Faulkner 805). Some of Abner’s anger may stem from his internal feeling of being like a slave. While leaving the house, Abner angrily tells his son, "[t]hat's sweat. Nigger sweat. Maybe it ain't white enough yet to suit him. Maybe he wants to mix some white sweat with it” (Faulkner 805). Abner is attempting

The Analysis of William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” Theme Barn Burning by William Faulkner talks about the relationship and loyalty of a son, Colonel Sartoris Snopes or Sarty to his father, Abner Snopes. The story is told from the ten year old Sarty’s perspective. All of his life, Sarty has always been taught to value family ties. However, at ten, he understood that his father has committed actions that are wrong, and these actions often hurt their family ties. Although not even a teenager yet, Sarty

Comparison of “A Rose for Emily” and “Barn Burning” William Faulkner uses two short stories to describe how people can be from entirely different situations and environments and still have very similar problems and responses. The setting of both stories takes place in small towns after the civil war. Both of the main characters feel like they have been cheated in life and deserve more. In the stories, “A Rose for Emily” and “Barn Burning”, both of the main characters have severe problems while dealing

and inequality affect morality and loyalty. This suspenseful, coming of age story takes place somewhere in the “deep south” of America soon after the Civil War. The main character, Colonel Sartoris Snopes better known as Sarty, is a ten-year-old boy and son of Abner Snopes. In the opening scene Abner Snopes is held in a courthouse for allegations related to the crime of arson against a local farmer’s barn. During his trial, Sarty is forced to testify against his father and is put into an uncomfortable