The Snopes family manages to survive and find work. However, the work offers little benefit other than the chance for survival. They are always moving from place to place due to seasons and crop rotation. In order to secure work, they have to reserve land with different landowners. Ab's emotional instability is a predominant factor that contributes to his weird behavior throughout the story (Mack 1798-1812) The family has moved a dozen times from farm to farm, and at times they are forced to leave their agreement with the landlord due to Ab's unacceptable behavior. His irrational behavior is transformed into a rebellion. Ab smears the landowner's carpet with horse manure and then sues the landowner for charging him too much for the damage. These acts symbolize frustration with the system and a radical approach to rebel against it. Knowing that punishment could not be avoided when committing such acts, Ab's actions take on a more dramatic meaning. It is as if he is trying to convey a message. He is aware of the economic injustice and he feels must respond. He chooses to respond even at the risk of him and his family being prosecuted. Ab's constant rebellion is displayed by a rough, sour character and is brought out when he burns down his landlord's barn. He feels despair and loss, and inflicts damage to whomever he happens to be working for at the time. Although the story centers on the feelings and thoughts of Ab's youngest son Sarty, the economic situation of Sarty's entire family plays a vital role in justifying his father's behavior (Mack 1798-1812) Sarty's main problem is his loyalty to his family. This directly collides with his disappointment and suppressed dislike of his own father. He tends to hide his feelings by denying the facts. The story's emotional turns are clearly defined by Sarty's thoughts and Ab's actions. Sarty's dilemma and Ab's frustrations continually grab the reader, serving up a series of emotions. Given the cir...
