The Hamlet

In the tiny town of Frenchman’s Bend, power accrues to whoever is most willing to disregard ethical considerations in its pursuit. Though the Snopes family, particularly Flem, are the key examples of ruthlessness, the Varners are similarly powerful and employ similar methods. Will Varner is described as “a farmer, a usurer, a veterinarian; Judge Benbow of Jefferson once said of him that a milder-mannered man never bled a mule or stuffed a ballot box” (4). Though he has a less ruthless reputation than the one Flem develops, he uses the same methods to maintain power. The power struggle between the Varners and the Snopeses is not a conflict between different sets of values; both families value power and wealth above all else, and the only question is which family will be most successful in scamming and manipulating the other members of the community.

Flem Snopes is the key example of ruthless ambition in The Hamlet. Though he remains in the shadows, he is proved to be pulling the strings of economic power within Frenchman’s Bend. His willingness to scam or betray anyone to get ahead, even his own family, leads to widespread unhappiness and suffering in the town.