Sympathizing with Abner While reading this story you learn about a character named Abner Snopes. Abner Snopes is the father in this story and also the main character. Abner Snopes is nowhere near being a perfect human Abner wanted more than what he had, and wanted to do more than what he was able. Whether it’s an act of disrespect or a mean and lethal arson; he wants to feel like he is in control to balance out the degradation that he feels on the daily basis. When Abner says "Well, I reckon I’ll have a word with the man that aims to begin ownin' me body and soul for the next eight months.( p.355)” it is the emotional peak of the story and the reader finally feels the sympathy and desperation when Abner lets out this tired sigh. Again, this
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He hits his family sometimes but that doesn't do as much damage that a fire could do. He is a small and frail man who cannot outmuscle the people he gets in arguments with. He is a very poor man and can't afford a weapon. But fire is easily and readily available. Abners son, Sarty says "The element of fire spoke to the mainspring of my father's being as the one weapon for the preservation of integrity and hence to be regarded with respect and used with discretion. (354)." This explains why Abner would make small fires, because fire was too valuable to be used liberally. The small heating fires were described as by Sarty as shrewd, because they were made to burn for as long as possible with a small amount of wood. The word shrewd has a negative meaning when describing someone, suggesting greediness... The word shrewd could defiantly describe Abner, but he is shrewd in the sense of the small fires that he tends to build, not in the sense of today’s connotation. He tries to get as much as he can from his own resources and is not above sacrificing his reputation for what he feels is best for his family. These house fires were also described as niggard, meaning grudgingly granting heat. But you just can’t help but notice the workings of the word and place it with the slaves Abner found himself coming in contact
He hits his family sometimes but that doesn't do as much damage that a fire could do. He is a small and frail man who cannot outmuscle the people he gets in arguments with. He is a very poor man and can't afford a weapon. But fire is easily and readily available. Abners son, Sarty says "The element of fire spoke to the mainspring of my father's being as the one weapon for the preservation of integrity and hence to be regarded with respect and used with discretion. (354)." This explains why Abner would make small fires, because fire was too valuable to be used liberally. The small heating fires were described as by Sarty as shrewd, because they were made to burn for as long as possible with a small amount of wood. The word shrewd has a negative meaning when describing someone, suggesting greediness... The word shrewd could defiantly describe Abner, but he is shrewd in the sense of the small fires that he tends to build, not in the sense of today’s connotation. He tries to get as much as he can from his own resources and is not above sacrificing his reputation for what he feels is best for his family. These house fires were also described as niggard, meaning grudgingly granting heat. But you just can’t help but notice the workings of the word and place it with the slaves Abner found himself coming in contact