Killings vs. Barn Burning free essay sample

After reading â€Å"Killings† by Andre Dubus, it is very clear that the main character, Matt Fowler shares many similarities and differences with Abner Snopes of â€Å"Barn Burning† by William Faulkner. Both Abner and Matt are father figures who seek revenge in order to feel at ease, but their thoughtless actions affect both their families and themselves. In both† Killings† and â€Å"Barn Burning†, revenge is used by both Matt Fowler and Abner Snopes to cheat the justice system. Matt Fowlers youngest son Frank was murdered by a man named Richard Strout.Due to the fact Matt did not believe justice would have his side, he killed Strout with hopes that his family would be able to rest easy knowing they won’t have to see Strout anymore. As a result, Matt began to feel the guilt for Strouts family and realizes there are going to be consequences for the murder he committed. We will write a custom essay sample on Killings vs. Barn Burning or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Matt Fowlers revenge resulted from a buildup of anger and various emotions and the desire to protect his family. As for Abner Snopes, revenge is a result of jealousy of the wealthy. Barn Burning† takes place at a much earlier time then â€Å"Killings† where class status was a big deal and people would do anything in order to support their families because they had to. Abner has a family and knows he has to support them in order to live but his despise for the wealthy and what he doesn’t have causes him to act out Izdebski 2 unlawfully by burning their barns. Like Matt Fowler, Abner does not think of the consequences he will have to face because of acting out unlawfully and violently.Throughout the story â€Å"Barn Burning† there is much evidence that supports Abners hateful actions and the lies he tells the judge when he gets caught. In the end, Abners planned action of burning Major De Spain’s barn is crushed by his son Sarty who realizes he can no longer lie for his father and warns De Spain of his father’s intensions. The reader is lead to believe that in the end Major De Spain kills Abner before he gets the chance to burn his barn. Both Matt Fowler of â€Å"Killings† and Abner Snopes of â€Å"Barn Burning† are portrayed as father figures.Matt Fowler is more of a normal father figure who cares for his family unconditionally and will not stand for anyone trying to ruin it. Abner Snopes on the other hand is not a good father and rather seek revenge due to his jealously issues then care about how his family feels. Unfortunately both Matt Fowler and Abner Snopes would not be considered good role models for their children due to their unlawful actions. Matt’s other children will suffer knowing their father is a murderer and will probably have to deal with him going to jail and not being able to see him.Abners son Sarty on the other hand will go on in life without his father and will know not to follow in his father’s path. Matt Fowler and Abner Snopes are not successful members of society. Matt Fowler could have had the chance to get the justice he rightfully deserved if he would have just waited for the awaiting trial against his son’s killer Richard Strout. Unfortunately Matt’s lack of trust in the justice system and built up anger caused him to commit murder. Murder is illegal and being known as a murderer doesn’t make you a successful member of society. As for Abner Snopes, Izdebski 3 being known as a trouble maker and breaking the law by burning others properties out of jealousy doesn’t make him a very successful member of society either. There are many reasons why Matt Fowler and Abner Snopes compare and contrast. In many ways Matt and Abner are a lot alike in the sense that they both use irrational, unlawful actions to get revenge for their anger.Matt and Abner have different issues that cause them to act out in such ways. Matt Fowler doesn’t know how to deal with the loss of his son Frank and is emotionally unstable causing him to commit murder on the man who took his sons life. Abner Snopes is a sharecropper who is jealous of the wealth around him and seems to have some underlying issues that cause him to burn down innocent peoples barns. The main characters actions in the stories â€Å"killings† and â€Å"Barn Burning† could also be different considering the time period in which the stories take place.