I Am A Mad Dog Biting Myself For Sympathy Analysis

Human beings have always pondered the idea of free will. Both “Barn Burning” and “I Am a Mad Dog Biting Myself for Sympathy”, written respectively by William Faulkner and Louise Erdrich, address this issue. “Barn Burning” outlines the way in which people make the conscious decision to either hold onto their obsessions or break free from the repetitive cycle they’re in. “I Am a Mad Dog Biting Myself for Sympathy” looks into the way an individual views their own choices, specifically how their state of mind results in their view of free will. Erdrich and Faulkner each use setting and character in order to demonstrate that individuals in society can use free will to change their lives instead of remaining passive and continuing their life in …show more content…
This wild aspect of his personality reveals itself in his destructive acts; specifically those involving fire. Everything else he does is repeatedly described as being “without heat”, and seemingly uncaring about his family. This un-empathetic attitude is part of the reason he continues on his destructive cycle; he simply does not care about other’s opinions and has no emotional motivation to change. This is demonstrated in the repeated descriptions of his character as “… though cut from tin… the voice harsh like tin and without heat like tin…” The overall rigidness of the character’s physical form is just as prominent in him mentally, which can be seen in the way he is uncompromising in his decisions. The control over which the father attempts to exert over his own life makes every destructive decision a distinct choice. These destructive acts are his way of rebelling against the ways in which he is controlled; financially by his boss as well as societal expectations. His resentment can be heard in the way he describes his new boss, who “[will be] owning me body and soul for the next eight months.” Although his father makes no attempt …show more content…
The majority of our story is in motion; running with no set destination in mind. This lack of direction contributes to our characters’ overall mental state; he does not know where he is going or what the end result will be, only questioning his options, “South, what’s there?” The modern-ness of the setting also connects us, as readers, to our character. He is more similar to us, and could be anybody we see on the street. Much of the text consists of the main character’s own thoughts, removing us from the setting to something more separate. During his time on the run he is debating his own fate, as demonstrated in the line “At that moment, it seems as though events are taking me somewhere”. Our main character states the day is his favorite kind, with “the threat of snow”. The cold day matches his character, which is often un-empathetic and distant. Throughout the story he doesn’t consider the way others are feeling, he focuses on Dawn and his escape only. Even when the thought of his family crosses his mind he can only picture his sister’s face, when thinking of his parents he states “Where their eyes should meet mine, nothing. That’s all.” His thoughts continuingly return to the way people are connected to one another, and he attempts to understand his connection others. Not only is he diverging from his usual path physically, but also