Topic > The Creation of Abner Snopes in Barn Burning by William Faulkner "Barn Burning" by William Faulkner is an intriguing story about the love and hate of a young boy named Colonel Sartoris (Sarty) for his father, Abner Snopes. Ab is a brutal and scary man who instills fear in anyone he appears to be near. What is the cause of Abner Snopes' cruelty of heart? Perhaps it is his alienation from the upper class of society that drives him to act this way. When such separation occurs in a community, one may feel that he does not belong, and since he does not belong, the only way the upper class will give him the time of the day is if the person acts out and tries to show that he does not ago. they don't need law and conventional society, just like Ab Snopes. Another possibility is that Sarty's father did not develop the intelligence to conform to social formalities. He may feel that the law is unnecessary for a husband and father who can, for the most part, get by and protect his family on his own. The cold side of Ab Snopes is what causes the internal conflict in Sarty. Sarty loves his father for the simple fact that Ab is his father. No matter how evil the deepest part of a father is, no matter how small, he will always keep the door open in case that person decides to change. This of course is the only thing that even remotely resembles Sarty's true love for his father, because Abner Snopes does nothing but abuse everyone who has ever loved him throughout the entire story. We know that he is harsh on his wife, his sons, his daughters, and even his brood, and ultimately that is why Sarty betrays his father. He just couldn't take it anymore." What we also need to evoke is the terrible frustration of an under... middle of paper... this is what creates characters in a story, characters like Abner Snopes and Sarty explain to you indirectly questions you may have, such as “What is the cause of Abner's cruel heart.” story, but the reader senses this conflict almost entirely through descriptive paragraphs like the one above. Burning." The Bedford Introduction To Literature (1996) P.420Hills, Jane. “Blood Ties in Barn Burning.” The Bedford Introduction To Literature (1996) P.429-430Wilson, Gayle Edward. “Conflict in Barn Burning.” The Bedford Introduction to Literature (1996) P.432-434