...William Faulkner’s, “Barn Burning,” is a story of a sharecropper, Abner Snopes, and the plight of his family during tense class times in the South. Sharecropping became a way of life in the South after the Civil War and the abolishment of slavery. It was during this post- bellum time that social class tensions were on the rise as sharecropping took advantage of poor white people, while greatly benefiting the wealthy. Faulkner uses Abner Snopes and his family as a portal to the trials and tribulations of a poor white sharecropping family. Faulkner’s, “Barn Burning,” is an excellent portrayal of the extreme disparity and injustice within the social classes in the South. This disparity and injustice is what triggers the leader of the family, Abner Snopes, to let out his aggression by burning barns. The dynamics of class system and hierarchy are well demonstrated throughout the, “Barn Burning.” Not only is it evident in the social and cultural details surrounding the Snope’s lives, but, it is also evident within their immediate family dynamics. Abner Snopes is the authoritative head of the family in, “Barn Burning.” Abner calls the shots in regards to his family, throughout the story. His position amongst society is quite opposite of the role he has within his own family. As a sharecropper and tenant of wealthy plantation owners, Abner was treated much like a slave. At one point in the story, Abner says, “I reckon I’ll have a word with the man that aims to begin to-morrow...
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...Barn Burning Although many political and economic changes took place following the civil war, it was very evident in William Faulkner’s Barn Burning that the impact on the social lives of the people living in the south were the most difficult to overcome. He utilizes the new tension between the social classes to create a compelling short story of a boy and his father, but more important, using the family to represent the change in society, the change between good and evil. The new social order after the civil war was a cause of tension between Abner Snopes and his surrounding communities. In William Faulkner’s Barn Burning Abner is portrayed as a man with much insecurity, which causes him to lash out at the people that were better off than him “‘I aim to. I don’t figure to stay in a country among people who…’ He said something unprintable and vile.” While Abner was not found guilty of arson the family is forced to leave on account of their own safety “’Barn burner!’” shouts one of the other citizens, showing the reader how much Abner and his family are un-liked. However, his choices do not change how his son sees him, yet. Abner and his way of dealing with issues begin to take a toll on the family, and most of all his son Sardy. His excessive anger and violence begin to change how Sardy feels about him, and he starts to question if his father is a good role model. Sensing this, Abner decides to intervene before Sardy sees what kind of a man he really is “’You’re going to...
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...Chandria Wilhelm WRT 102 8:40 3/10/2008 The History Within William Faulkner, is a well known and very influential American writer of the 20th century, and is considered to be one of the most important Southern writers of all time. Faulkner is known for writing fictional short stories, novels, and poems about history, culture, and family traditions. In his first collection of short stories, These 13 contained the short story “Barn Burning,” one of Faulkner’s more popular short stories. The story tells of an impoverished man named Abner Snopes, who continuously takes revenge on higher class men by burning down their barns, which creates a conflict of morality and loyalty between Abner and his son Sarty. Throughout the story Faulkner provides the reader with information about how people lived in the South during the 1930’s and the post Civil War era (Hönnighausen). In William Faulkner’s story “Barn Burning,” the role of class, race, and the change from the agrarian to the industrial age arising during the 19th century is put into perspective. Understanding the setting of “Barn Burning” is crucial to interrupt the story. The story takes place in 1830’s post Civil War in the south during the reconstruction and Great Depression era. During this time the South is struggling to avoid being conquered by the North, and “…has retreated into plantation life and small-town existence, and it maintains in private the social hierarchy that characterized the region in its...
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...Bekah Dahlman Professor Roche English 104W 15 July 2015 Power and Identity Between Sartoris and Aber Snopes In the story “Barn Burning”, the Snopes family is different than most due to two the main characters. This is a strong and powerful story leading to events that capture the reader’s attention. It is common in life that we all should look up to our parents to do the right thing, show compassion towards us and to take care of us. In William Faulkner’s story “Barn Burning” Abner Snopes tries to destroy his ten year-old son Sartoris’s freedom and take away his power. This short story presents Sartoris as an individual with choices to make to. He can either follow and take with his father side and protect his family, or he could take a strong action towards what he believes in. “Barn Burning” awakes the reader to the problem of finding one’s identity and learning to face conflicts and circumstances by focusing on the relationship of power between Mr. Snopes and his son Sartoris. Sartoris is often faced with difficult situations growing up with his particular family. His father, Abner is accused in court of being a barn burner and Sartoris is called to witness in his father’s trial. Mr. Snopes ends up walking away but in the end he is not done burning down barns. The Snopes family is different from one another which may explain why Sartoris is the way he is. The father is the most powerful of them all and tries to get revenge and unleashes his anger on anyone who has...
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...Jaleel Ritchwood Dr. Angela Elliot Introduction to Literary Analysis ENG1005A Breaking Free William Faulkner’s story “Barn Burning” seems just to be about an oppressive father and a son who is in the grips of that oppression. I think Faulkner explores at least one important philosophical question in this story where he asks at what point should a person make a choice between what his parent(s) and/or family believes and his own values? The main character and protagonist in this story is a boy named Colonel Sartoris, who is nicknamed Sarty. In this story, Sarty is faced with the decision of both going along with the views and actions of his ethically challenged father or assert his own ethics and independence by running away and leaving his family and his pain behind. In William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning”, Sarty and his father Abner struggle with internal emotions dealing with their way of life. The antagonist in the story is Abner Snopes. Abner is a very angry and inconsiderate man who has hate and abomination for almost anybody who is not “blood-kin”, and he portrays that hatred and disapproval throughout the story. This story follows the typical format and is narrated in the third person. In the exposition, Faulkner’s skill as a writer is established through the way that he uses details to draw the readers into the story. Also, in the first paragraph we are introduced to the main character and protagonist in the story, Sarty. The setting in which Sarty’s conflict is...
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...Analysis of “Barn Burning” The main issue that arises in this short story is right versus wrong. Colonel Sartoris “Sarty” Snopes is a young man who feels the building pressure of his conscience, but extreme loyalty to his father. Sarty possesses a keen sense of right and wrong. The opening seen begins with his father, Abner Snopes, expecting his son to perjure himself. This would allow Abner to not be prosecuted for barn burning. He strongly believes in the kinship bond the “old fierce pull of blood.” He doesn’t focus on the consequences of his actions…nor does he care. Abner Snopes is very poor, paranoid, vengeful and full of rage. He despises those who are more financially stable. Unlike his bitter father, Sarty subconsciously questions his father’s devilish actions. He is unable to fathom the reasoning why his father feels justified to ruin these wealthy properties. His loyalty is demonstrated in the scene which the young boys call out, “Barn burner!” Sarty immediately strikes out and punches the boys. This shows the reader that he does feel personally threatened. It is apparent that he yearns for a normal father…One that he could idolize and learn positive attributes. Abner feels that by burning down these properties it is doing justice. He is exhausted from working as a farm hand, so he preys on those who he feels threatened by. Sarty hopes that his father will stop eventually as he states, “Maybe he’s done satisfied now, now that he has”…then he stopped himself. The...
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...In William Faulkner’s story “Barn Burning,” Sarty, a ten year old boy, struggles to find his own identity due to choosing between his father’s ideals of loyalty to family and justice. Sarty lives and travels with a very poor white family, and they work on farms of rich landowners, but they get paid very little. As the beginning of the story begins, Sarty and his family are in court for Abner’s decisions of burning landowners’ barns. In the process, Sarty is pressured to choose between two paths, in which Faulkner shows “the classic conflicts of good versus evil, son versus father, and individual versus familial identity” (Ford). At the end Sarty’s final resolution develops his identity. Sarty’s conflict with his father is very strong, because Abner Snopes believes family loyalty is everything. Sarty is unable to make his own choices due to Abner’s ideals, because from the beginning Abner enforces Sarty to “stick to your own blood”(Faulkner 175). In the opening scenes, Sarty’s conflict is unveiled. Sarty loves and respects his father, but in court he does not want to lie. This causes Sarty to recognize his father’s enemies as his own enemies, and this puts Sarty in a very uncomfortable position. As Ford states, during the first trial with Mr. Harris’ Barn, the Justice of the peace banishes Abner from town instead of testifying...
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...Barn Burning William Faulkner is concerned with the south and its problems with black slavery. The issues in Barn Burning deal with the conflict between father and son. The theme of this story focuses on justice. The boy, Sarty, objects to his father burning barns and wants people to be treated fairly. His father, Abner, believes his son should respect and support kin. Abner thinks family is right no matter what. Faulkner's intent is to show that choosing between one's own family and justice is very difficult to do, and in the end justice must prevail. The theme is best illustrated by its point of view, its characterization, and setting. Faulkner represents his point of view using both first and third person to translate his theme. The story is being told by Sartoris Snopes who is a boy at the time the story takes place. Throughout the story he shifts from first to third person narrative voices. At times in the story he would speak as only a child would, then something would be said by him which was too knowledgeable for a boy his age to know. This gives an impression that he is older and is remembering things of his past. Switching between first and third person shows that the choice he made greatly affected him. The way the characters are portrayed remarkably depicts Faulkner's theme. The two conflicting characters are described in similar ways to show their differences. Abner is described by how people see and think about him. From...
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...Final Paper Barn Burning Heather Thomas Indiana Wesleyan University ENG-242 Mack Armstrong February 26, 2013 I have read and understand the plagiarism policy as outlined in the syllabus and the sections in the Student Bulletin relating to the IWU Honesty/Cheating Policy. By affixing this statement to the title page of my paper, I certify that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the process of completing this assignment. If it is found that cheating and/or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper, I understand the possible consequences of the act/s, which could include expulsion from Indiana Wesleyan University. Final Paper: Barn Burning In the short story, “Barn Burning,” William Faulkner wrote to show us the uncertainty of our individual futures. In many instances, author’s write from personal experience and perspectives, and like stated in our assignment description, they write, “both as reflections of and influences upon their culture.” Here, Faulkner gives us a safe look at the different classes of people in the Old South, where race, monetary value and differences in social class are all derivatives of his purpose. The thesis of “Barn Burning” is implied throughout the story. In my own words, the thesis of this story is given through the analysis of a young and impressionable boy who struggles between moral choices of family loyalty and the moral expectancy of civic justice. In this essay, I will identify and discuss literary elements...
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...to engage the reader into a story. This is also the case in “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner. Faulkner’s two major characters in “Barn Burning,” could easily fall into the categories dynamic, round, static and flat characters. Although Faulkner has several minor characters that add to the story as well, we will only be taking a look at his two major characters. Colonel Sartoris Snopes, or “Sarty,” would be our dynamic, round character. Abner Snopes, our other main character, would be our flat, static character. Often times a major character will fall into a couple different categories of character types. Sarty can also be classified as both a dynamic character (one that changes throughout the story), and also a round character (one that acts from varied, often conflicting motives, impulses, and desires). Throughout the story Sarty has to struggle with following the teachings of his father, regarding family loyalty vs. his own inner moral judgment. There is a trial going on at the opening of the story, where Sarty’s father is on trial for burning down his employer’s barn. Sarty is called to the stand, but then removed before having a chance to testify against his father. Later his father confronts him, asking “You were fixing to tell them. You would have told him.” To which Sarty replies, that he would have. He later of course, does side with justice and warns Major De Spain that is father is planning to his barn. Arriving at the De Spain home for the first time, is a crucial...
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...In William Faulkner’s story, “Barn Burning”, a young man, Colonel Sartoris, struggled with the relationship he had with his father and his own conscience. Sarty, the young man, develop into an adult while dealing with the many crude actions and ways of Abner, his tyrannical father. Sarty was a puzzled youth faced with the decision of either going along with the views and actions of his morally challenged father or asserting his own morality and individuality by running away and leaving his family and his pain behind. His struggle dealing with the reactions that were caused by his father’s action resulted in him thinking more for himself throughout the story. Sarty knew he “smelled cheese, and more.” He smelled the “fierce pull of blood,” his father’s blood, the blood of the family name, Snopes. Sarty knew he was also the son of the “barn burner.” A name he heard hissing as they passed by boys in town. Sarty fought to defend his father, but when hurt; he seemed to need the blood to remain for a while as a reminder of why he stayed with his father. Sarty viewed his father at times as “bloodless” and cut from “tin.” Sarty could usually convince himself why his father was this way. The fact that he had to be a horse trader for four years, hiding from the blue and the gray armies to exist by stealing or “capturing” as he called it, horses caused Sarty to view his father the way he did. “Barn Burning” was a sad story because it not only showed the classical struggle between...
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...Barn Burning William Faulkner is concerned with the south and its problems with black slavery. The issues in Barn Burning deal with the conflict between father and son. The theme of this story focuses on justice. The boy, Sarty, objects to his father burning barns and wants people to be treated fairly. His father, Abner, believes his son should respect and support kin. Abner thinks family is right no matter what. Faulkner's intent is to show that choosing between one's own family and justice is very difficult to do, and in the end justice must prevail. The theme is best illustrated by its point of view, its characterization, and setting. Faulkner represents his point of view using both first and third person to translate his theme. The story is being told by Sartoris Snopes who is a boy at the time the story takes place. Throughout the story he shifts from first to third person narrative voices. At times in the story he would speak as only a child would, then something would be said by him which was too knowledgeable for a boy his age to know. This gives an impression that he is older and is remembering things of his past. Switching between first and third person shows that the choice he made greatly affected him. The way the characters are portrayed remarkably depicts Faulkner's theme. The two conflicting characters are described in similar ways to show their differences. Abner is described by how people see and think about him. From the beginning...
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...and Redeeming Qualities of Abner Snopes In William Faulkner’s short story “Barn Burning,” Abner Snopes is portrayed to be an unpredictable predator who ruthlessly burns the barns of his enemies over minor disputes and terrorizes his family into submission. Abner is described as “tin-like” throughout the story to signify the coldness that he shows towards humanity. This makes Abner appear almost inhuman, as he seemingly lacks the human quality to feel emotion. Given the misdeeds that Abner commits in the story, it would be very easy to think of him as the tin-like monster that the narrator portrays him to be. However, like the “dynamic shapes of tin cans” that are mentioned in the opening paragraph, Abner has a dynamic past that has led him to view the world in a different light than society. In Abner’s eyes, he is the hero and the wealthy citizens and the justice system are the villains who are out to take advantage of the poor. When the story is looked at from this point of view, many of Abner’s seemingly negative traits become admirable. Although Abner is still a flawed character, his ability to resist oppression and protest the corrupt social system, his determination to see that justice is served, and his love and loyalty to his family are worthy of respect. In order to understand why Abner has come to develop his hatred towards society, his past and current situation must be examined. In the story, the narrator states that Abner was a plunderer in the civil...
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...act of defiance is needed to get hope back into a life. In “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner, Sartoris, the main character, is a young boy on the path for a dim future because he is in a poverty-stricken family with a father who shows no care for him. After losing his hope, Sartoris must go against the ways of the rest of his family to ensure that he has a brighter future. Faulkner emphasizes that Sartoris has escaped misery and is heading down the path for a better life with the contrast of the family dynamic and the hopeful tone of the last two paragraphs. All of Abner’s emotion is reserved for society and everything except his family, and the small amount...
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...HUMANITY There are many aspects pertaining to literature that cause readers to consider it good literature. Some may analyze the plot, setting, narrative structure, character, mood, or theme. Others may choose to analyze or focus on literary techniques such as imagery, hyperbole, personification, or irony. Though we may choose to focus on any of these facets, as well as many more, the one condition that we all seem to be looking for in literature is connection. We want to be able to relate to the characters in the works we read. We want to read stories that we can comprehend and identify with; stories that allow us to associate ourselves with the characters, see the story through their eyes, put ourselves in their shoes, feel their pain, and celebrate their victory. Good literature fully explores the depths and aspects of humanity through empathy, morality, madness, vulnerability, and pride. The White Troops Had Their Orders, but the Negros Looked Like Men by Gwendolyn Brooks exemplifies empathy through the white troop meeting the black troops, likely slaves, for the first time. The poem starts us off by showing how the white men had been trained to look at the black men. They had been given the formula on how to treat them until their empathy sets in after seeing the black troops for the first time. “But when the Negros came they were perplexed. These Negros looked like men” (Brooks, 2495). In fact, they appreciated the similarities so much, they didn't have the time or frame...
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