A Real “Barn Burner”
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A Real “Barn Burner”
In William Faulkners short story “Barn Burning” characterization plays a central role in the development and action of the storyline. One character, more so than others in this regard, deserves special attention; this character is named Abner Snopes, and he creates most of the conflict in this story. In most literary scenarios, a father is portrayed as sensitive, caring, and genuinely interested in his familys well being. In “Barn Burning,” this is not the case. Abner Snopes is an unfeeling, hateful person who commits acts of retribution and vengeance according to his own twisted sense of right and wrong. And further, he commits violent acts toward his family, and shows no remorse. To put it bluntly, Abner is vengeful, abusive, and unfeeling, and Abner exemplifies these character traits through his actions and mentality.
Abner is a dark presence in “Barn Burning,” manifesting himself from the outset of the story as a vengeful person. For example, when Abner burns down Mr. Harris barn readers see his real personality for the first time. As stated in the text, Abner warns Mr. Harris that hell burn down his barn, and then Ð- mysteriously Ð- the barn is burned to the ground, “ÐHe [Abner] say to tell you wood and hay kin burn That night my barn burned,” (161). As it turns out, Abner burned Mr. Harris barn because he wanted repayment for his lost corn, corn that Abners hog had eaten. Abner thought it justified that he exact his revenge by burning down Mr. Harris barn.
In another instance, we see Abners vengeful personality resurface when he goes to Major De Spains house, where Abner is described as “… [examining] the house with brief deliberation…
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with the same deliberation he turned, leaving a long and fading smear,” (165). In conjunction with this quote, Abners “fading smear” comes to take on real meaning when he attempts to burn down Major De Spains barn, saying “Get that can of oil,” (168). In both instances of barn burning Ð- both Mr. Harris and Major De Spain Ð- Abner had been indebted to the men, and this caused him to retaliate with vengeance by burning down their barns.
When the term “abusive” is mentioned, peoples immediate reactions range from mild disgust to furious anger. It is expected that Abner garners a similar reaction from readers as the story progresses. In the text, we see Abner abuse his wife and children with a wanton lust similar to the manner in which he burns barns. For example, when Sarty is about to tell the courts that his father had burned a barn, “ÐYou were fixing to tell them. His father struck him with the flat of his hand on the side of the head, hard but without heat, exactly as he had struck the two mules at the store,” (163). Later on in the story, we see a repeated pattern in the cycle of Abners abuse, when Sarty states, “If I had said they only wanted the truth, he would have hit me again” (167). Sarty has learned that Abner will continue to physically abuse him. Sarty expects violence as a response to confrontations with his father, and he has learned this through repeated instances of violence. In another scene, readers see more familial violence when Abner assaults his wife, “[Abner] flung her back… hard… into the wall… her mouth open and in her face the same quality of hopeless despair as had been in her voice” (169). Clearly, Abner Snopes is an abusive