Discussion Topic
The fate and redeeming qualities of Sarty's father in "Barn Burning."
Summary:
Sarty's father, Abner Snopes, ultimately meets his fate when he is shot and killed after attempting to burn down Major de Spain's barn. Despite his harsh and violent nature, Abner exhibits a strong sense of loyalty to his family and a defiant resistance against perceived injustices, which can be seen as redeeming qualities in his character.
Did Sarty's father die in "Barn Burning"?
Excellent question. I would add to the previous post that the sequence in which the texts are written do not necessarily represent the sequence of fictional events. In order to figure out what is going on and who lives and dies in what narrative, consult a genealogy chart ( see the link below). Faulkner is notorious for either resurecting characters or telling stories through charcters that are already dead like in Absalom,Absalom! for instance. To pinpoint who dies when, you have to go into the specific narratives.
Does Sarty's father in "Barn Burning" have any redeeming qualities?
Arguably, Abner Snopes may not have any redeeming qualities, whatsoever. It is not that he may lack them altogether, but that his bad qualities are so bad that they inevitably will end up overshadowing whatever good he ever brings out. For instance, the fact that he beats up his wife and children is the type of thing that leaves no room for any...
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kind appreciation of his persona. Moreover, the fact that he is vicious, vindictive, and neglectful to his children makes his character even harder to connect with.
From Sarty's perspective as a ten year old, however, this may be different. This is because Sarty is still trapped between the world of make-believe that children idealize about their parents, and the creeping reality that is slowly looming over his view of the world.
For example, the deSpain mansion scene makes Sarty feels sorry for his father because of the treatment that Sarty gets from deSpain. Although this particular instance was completely propitiated by Abner, the fact that he (Abner) is belittled due to his lower social status may or may not lead the reader to feel sorry for him, and even to feel some form of agreement in Abner's want for justice in the form of burning barns as his revenge.
Yet all of that would still never compensate the wrong that he has caused society and his family as well. Just those two simple things cause enough damage to his character with very little chance for redemption.