From Faulkner's Barn Burning: From Loyalty To The Law?

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It is well known throughout human society that an individual’s ethics play a vital role in their life. We as readers see this used in many instances through the stories, novels, and poems we often enjoy. William Faulkner’s Barn Burning pays particular attention to the notions of right and wrong. In his short story Barn Burning, Faulkner enables the reader to understand the distinctions between loyalty to one’s family and to the law. Faulkner portrays this throughout his story with the main character whom is a little boy named Colonel Sartoris Snopes. Sarty is caught between the moral and ethical principles of the law or the loyalty to his father’s instructions of helping him in burning a barn. At times loyalty to one’s family can be a heavy burden, which is why it is important to choose loyalty to the law for an opportunity to live with honesty. My goal in this paper is to present a literary analysis of Faulkner’s short story Barn Burning. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to define themes developed by the author to analyze main characters and define what symbols the author uses to support the story. …show more content…

Faulkner tells about a tenant farmer whose name is Abner Snopes who is constantly fighting with what he considers an unfair society by starting fires. Abner Snopes who is a former soldier and oppressive father, does not like suffering the inequalities and injustices of his life. Abner Snopes exacts his revenge on the rich and powerful that he works for by burning their barns and wants his children to do the same. Abner Snopes being the antagonist teaches his son Sarty that loyalty to family is important by telling him: “You got to learn to stick to your own blood, or you aren’t going to have any blood to stick to you”. (Faulkner

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