Abner Snopes In William Faulkner's Barn Burning

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Alienation can best be described as the feeling of being an outsider in one’s social environment. This occurred during post-World War 1, where Americans connected to the aftermath, the changes and strangeness of the world at that time, and the confusion of inner life itself. William Faulkner’s short story ‘Barn Burning’, Faulkner presents Abner Snopes, the antagonist, as a cruel, bitter, and enraged sharecropper. As the story unfolds the reader learns that Abner resents the wealthy and powerful; burning barns specifically for revenge, by destroying their main source of income, livestock. Abner blames society for his actions and breach of moral ethics, lacking remorse in the society he no longer trusts. Throughout the story, Abner is alienated …show more content…
Readers discover Abner controlling his family through psychological and physical brutality to make them comply with burning barns. Moreover, Abner's motto is loyalty because you have to “stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you” (Faulkner 2000). His son is expected to conform to Abner beliefs of burning barns. However, unlike Abner, Sarty finally realizes you can’t run away from your responsibilities forever. This then leads Sarty to chose society and turn away from Abner beliefs. For example, when running to tell DeSpain about Abner’s plan Sarty thinks “I could keep on…I could run on and never look back, never needs to see his face again…” (Faulkner 2008). This showcases Sartys’ alienation from Abner because rather than living in a self-isolating society, Sarty wants to keep running further and further away from him. He wants to never come back to him or his ways of defying society's …show more content…
He seeks revenge to all who have done wrong to him. Society and Abner's son see you must come face to face with reality at one point or another. However, in his mind, Abner believes he will always be the victim of society’s ‘brutal’ ways and burning barns will always be his justice. This then leads to Abner self-isolating himself from society. Thus, leading society and his son to isolate themselves from him all together because of his egocentric and delusional victim searching for vengeance status. Abner will be forced to see himself as a man required to operate in an amoral world, in an amoral society which he no longer associates
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