Life is fickle and most people will be a victim of Essay Example For Students

Life is fickle and most people will be a victim of Essay circumstance and thetimes. Some people choose not to let circumstance rule them and, as theysay, time waits for no man. Faulkners Emily did not have the individualconfidence, or maybe self-esteem and self-worth, to believe that she couldstand alone and succeed at life especially in the face of changing times. She had always been ruled by, and depended on, men to protect, defend andact for her. From her Father, through the manservant Tobe, to Homer Barron,all her life was dependent on men. The few flashes of individuality showedher ability to rise to the occasion, to overcome her dependency, when theaction was the only solution available. Like buying the poison or gettingmoney by offering china-painting classes. Life is sad and tragic; some ofwhich is made for us and some of which we make ourselves. Emily had a hard life. Everything that she loved left her. Her fatherprobably impressed upon her that every man she met was no good for her. Thetownspeople even state when her father died, it got about that the housewas all that was left to her; and in a way, people were glad being leftalone. She had become humanized (219). This sounds as if her fathersdeath was sort of liberation for Emily. In a way it was, she could begin todate and court men of her choice and liking. Her father couldnt chase themoff any more. But then again, did she have the know-how to do this, afterall those years of her fathers past actions? It also sounds as if thetownspeople thought Emily was above the law because of her high-classstature. Now since the passing of her father she may be like them, a middleclass working person. Unfortunately, for Emily she became home bound. She didnt socialize muchexcept for having her manservant Tobe visit to do some chores and go to thestore for her. Faulkner depicts Emily and her family as a high socialclass. Emily did carry her self with dignity and people gave her thatrespect, based from fear of what Emily could do to them. Emily was a strongwilled person especially when she went into the drug store for the arsenic. She said Arsenic. I want arsenic (220). All along, the druggist wantedto know what she wanted it for and she answered back I want the best youhave. I dont care what kind (220). Needless to say, the druggist nevergot an answer. The druggist gave Emily poison out of fear and respect,possibly. Yes, Emily didnt socialize much, but she did have a gentleman friend,Homer Barron. Homer was a Forman for a road construction company, Faulknerwrites a forman named Homer Barron, a Yankee a big, dark, ready man, witha big voice and eyes lighter than his face(220). Emilys father probablywould not be pleased with this affair with Homer, considering herupbringing. Homer was a commoner and did not fit the social standards ofher father. Of course, Emily, like most women dream of getting married and having afamily and most of all, being loved. The gossip around town was spreading;the townspeople said when she got to be thirty and was still single, wewere not pleased, but vindicated; She wouldnt have turned down all ofher chances if they had materialized (221). Emily wanted to be loved, andshe was determined that Homer would be her true love to rescue her fromfear, fear of being alone. Indeed Emily took a great liking to Homer, butHomers feelings about the relationship were different. It was rumored thateven Homer himself had remarkedhe liked men, and it was known that hedrunk with younger men in the Elks clubthat he was not a marrying man(221). Homer left Emily and the town for three days, and then came back. Attribute of humanity EssayAbners act of breaking the law begins when he was supposed to be fightingin the Civil War, but instead he stole horses from both sides of the lines. When Abner returned home, he continued his act of breaking the law bycommitting arson. At the beginning of the story, Abner is in a makeshiftcourtroom where he is being tried for burning Mr. Harris barn. There wasno evidence to rule against Abner so he was advised to leave the country. I aim to. I dont figure to stay in a country among people who (217). After sly remarks of barn burner(218) from a group of people standingnear, Abner tells his family to get in the wagon and get ready for travel. Abner and his family traveled to their next house where things got off to abad start. Just a few days had gone by and Abner took Major DeSpain tocourt claiming his fine was to high for the damage he did to his rug. Thecourt ruled in DeSpains favor fining him, to the amount of ten bushels ofcorn over and above your contract with him, to be paid to him out of yourcrop at gathering time (226), thus setting off Abners anger. As a resulthe set out that night and put DeSpains barn on fire. Finally Abners unchanging character is revealed not only in his role asbeing cold-hearted and lawless but also as violent. It is seen throughoutthe story that Abners act of burning barns is violent. Abner slaps his sonwhen it is evident that he was about to tell the truth about Mr. Harrisbarn. His sons simple reply of yes saved him from more torture beatingsfrom his father. While paying a non-welcomed visit to Major DeSpainshouse, he enters the house, flinging the door back and the Negro also andentering, his hat still on his head (221). This showed that Abner has noremorse for anyone. This started the incident with the rug, which later ledto the burning of DeSpains barn. He shoves his wife away when she tugs at his arm and tries to restrain him. Intending to guard against Satrys betrayal, he picks up his son by theback of the shirt and hands him to his wife. He orders he to hold on to himand not let him run away. After Snopes leaves the house with his older sonand the can of kerosene, Sarty escapes from his mother and runs to thehouse of Major DeSpain. The Major, informed by Sarty of the danger, findsSnopes and his other son and shoots them before they can burn his barn(731). This event sparked the end of the violent acts of Abner, forever. The cold hearted, lawless, and violent roles Abner Snopes plays throughoutthe story, shows his unchanging character. The story portrays how a poorman feels when the law is based on taking the rich mans side. It followshim from being a cold-hearted father and husband to a lawless and violentman, which, towards the end of the story, leads him to the death ofhimself. Things today are better than they were back during the Civil War. People are still categorized by how much money they have. But, because ofbetter law enforcement and court systems, people can not get away with theso-called revenge and hatred, as portrayed by the acts of Abner in thestory. Works Cited. Kirszner ; Mandell, ed. Literature. 3rd ed. Orlando: Holt, Rinehart andWinston, 1997. . Magill, Frank. Critical Survey of Short Fiction. California: SalemPress, 1993. . Salyman, Jack, and Pamela Wilkinson. Major Characters in AmericanFiction. New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 1994.