Barn Burning Analysis

William Faulkner’s ‘Barn Burning’, is the tale a young man, by the name of Colonel “Sarty” Sartoris Snopes and his father, Abner “Ab” Snopes, and the difference between right and wrong. The story commences in a courtroom, where Ab is on trial for burning a barn. Young Sarty is called to the stand to testify as to what took place, until the plaintiff told the judge he didn’t want him to question the young child. However, Sarty was unsure of the decision he would make if he was questioned. Sarty was unsure if he would choose his loyalty to his father, or if he would do the noble thing and tell the truth. Sarty and Ab’s relationship was strained with abuse, anxiety and fear, Sarty’s devotion to Ab never reciprocated, until Sarty makes the most

However, authors Fargnoli, Golay, and Hamblin illustrates him as “a horrible father, known for burning down barn” (58). The story begins with Ab being on trial for allegedly setting a man’s barn on fire. Ab was eventually acquitted of the pending charge due to lack of evidence and was ordered out of town. The reader assumed Ab possibly made a mistake, and would learn from his lesson. Faulkner implicates Ab as an abusive audacious man who expects, his children to conceal his crimes. The reader interprets this when Ab interrogates Sarty around the fire, “You’re getting to be a man. You got to learn to stick to your blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you.” (Barn Burning 9). Ab advised Sarty of this shortly after hit struck him in the head after he assumed Sarty was going to reveal his crime. Ab speaking that line implies that he is a dictator, whom rules his family with abuse and by intimidation. The Snopes arrives at the estate of Major de Spain, where he and Sarty is African American servant advises them de Spain wasn’t at the residence. Opposed to Ab leaving the residence and returning at a later hour, he bombards into the residence, heaving the servant out the way. While Ab was inside the residence he purposely ruined a hundred dollars France imported rug with his boots. De Spain advises Ab he will pay him

Sarty grows up quickly when he makes a mature decision to confess to de Spain of his father’s crime. Sarty made an ethical decision to do the right thing. Billingslea explained it best, “Sarty’s quest is thoroughly natural and of the heart.” (Fathers and Sons: the Spiritual Quest in Faulkner’s ‘Barn Burning.’ page 288) The beginning of the story, illustrates Sarty as a young boy attempting to gain his father’s love. In the conclusion of the short story Sarty stands up for what he believes in, and in some reader’s options would be equivalent to the noble thing. However, Sarty never fully pondered the outcome of his actions. Although Faulkner never wrote in reference to what happened, to Sarty’s other family members, but the decision he made not only effected his life and his growing into adulthood, but also affected his other family member’s lives at the same time. With that being pondered, Sarty’s decision to confess his father’s crime was conceivably as selfish as his Ab’s decision to burn the