Although there are a various themes that exist within William Faulkner’s Barn Burning, nevertheless the primary theme that I will focus on is loyalty to family, to include loyalty over what is morally appropriate. Abner Snopes was a strict and controlling husband, father and he hung onto his war heroics to impose his will on his family and the unjust of social and economic inequality (Dermot, 2014). Although, the majority of his family has come to understand that is what is expected of them to remain devoted to family, however the youngest boy Sartoris has concerns about doing what is morally correct, regardless. His struggles are evident right from the beginning when ask to testify against his father about burning Mr. Harris’s barn. “He aims …show more content…
Therefore, the young boy is validating his loyalty to his father even though morally he knows his father burned down the barn. In the same manner, the mother shows similar traits of her devotion to her husband over all things bad the husband has done. The clock inlaid with the mother-of-pearl, which would not run, stopped at some fourteen minutes past two o’clock of a dead and forgotten day and time, which had been his mother’s dowry (Faulkner, 1980, p. 2). Yet, she remains by his side in similar fashion, despite how all Abner’s immoral deeds distress the family. One could argue that she is fearful and that is why she will not leave his side, but Abner inflicts fear into the entire family, which in turns demands loyalty on the bases of fear in its …show more content…
When asked by his father, and not answering promptly when asked by Abner if he would have spoken the truth “You were fixing to tell them. You would have told him”. He did not answer. His father struck him with the flat of his hand on the side of the head (Faulkner, 1980, p. 3) and again out of fear he does not say what really is on his mind, later, twenty years later, he was to tell himself, “if I had said the wanted only truth, justice, he would have hit me again” (Faulkner, 1980, p. 3). Not only is Sartoris lesson stern, but of powerful words of allegiance to blood, in that of family first mentality. You got to learn to stick to your own blood, or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you (Faulkner, 1980, p.
It has been stated that while doing what is right is not always easy, it is in fact doing what is right despite it being difficult that is quite the accomplishment. Justice one finds to be one of the major themes throughout “Barn Burning”. The notion of intuitive justice presents itself as a characteristic explored throughout William Faulkner’s literary masterpiece “Barn Burning” through the protagonist Colonel Sartoris Snopes, also referred to as Sarty throughout “Barn Burning”. Faulkner presents Sarty and demonstrates his sense of justice through literal actions and dramatic context.
In “Barn Burning”, Abner enters the house at dusk and “could smell the coffee from the room where they would presently eat the cold food remaining from the afternoon meal.” (14) A warm meal would indicate fulfillment and cohesiveness within the family. The inclusion of the detail that the food was cold represents an inversion of these associations. The cold meal symbolizes the family’s distaste with Abner’s actions. The memory of the dinner lingers with the family as they get ready for bed and appears linked with negative images of “Where they had been were no long, water-cloudy scoriations resembling the sporadic course of a lilliputian moving machine.” (15) In addition, the emphasis that this dinner was in fact a left-over meal symbolizes that the pattern of Abner’s destructive behavior and its effects on his family will not change.
I believe that Faulkner displayed this belief throughout this story. He shows that Sarty is a “soul” that is compassionate when he mourns his father in the last few paragraphs of the story. He exemplifies sacrifice when Sarty must sacrifice the safety and lives of his family members for his own morals. Finally, Faulkner conveys endurance when the child comes to the realization that he may not return to the surviving members of his family, and that he must continue to live on his own.
William Faulkner, recognized as one of the greatest writers of all time, once made a speech as he accepted his Nobel prize for writing in which he stated that a great piece of writing should contain the truths of the heart and the conflicts that arise over these truths. These truths were love, honor, pity, pride, compassion and sacrifice. Truly it would be hard to argue that a story without these truths would be considered even a good story let alone a great one. So the question brought forward is whether Faulkner uses his own truths of the heart to make his story "Barn Burning." Clearly the answer to this question is yes; his use of the truths of the heart are prevalent
Abner tries to make a man out of Sarty by inflicting pain on him. “His father struck him with the flat of his hand on the side of his head, hard but without heat, ex...
Before Mrs. Ames and the mother realize the restrictions of their old lives, their worlds have been full of disillusionment and ignorance. Mrs. Ames, for example, is oppressed by her husband’s silence and the search for love and tenderness from anyone, because she lives each day alone, ignored by her scornful husband. And, as a result of being left companionless, she does not mature, rather she longs for tenderness. In other words, Boyle explains her dysfunctional relationship with her husband, “The mystery and silence of her husband’s mind lay like a chiding finger of her lips. Her eyes were gray for the light had been extinguished in them” (57). That is, Mrs. Ames’ spirit remains oppressed by her husband who treats her as a child, and, in doing so, isolates her from his world.
...e on her part. Throughout the story, the Mother is portrayed as the dominant figure, which resembled the amount of say that the father and children had on matters. Together, the Father, James, and David strived to maintain equality by helping with the chickens and taking care of Scott; however, despite the effort that they had put in, the Mother refused to be persuaded that Scott was of any value and therefore she felt that selling him would be most beneficial. The Mother’s persona is unsympathetic as she lacks respect and a heart towards her family members. Since the Mother never showed equality, her character had unraveled into the creation of a negative atmosphere in which her family is now cemented in. For the Father, David and James, it is only now the memories of Scott that will hold their bond together.
In ¡§Barn Burning¡¨, Sarty¡¦s father enjoys setting fires to burn down others¡¦ properties. Sarty faces the problem between loyalty and honesty. On one hand, he wants to be loyal to his father; on the other hand, he does not endorse his father¡¦s behavior. His father teaches him: ¡§You¡¦re getting to be a man. You got to learn. You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain¡¦t going to have any blood to stick to you¡¨ (¡§Barn Burning¡¨, 8). His father wa...
In “Barn Burning” the setting is a time when people drove horse wagons and the workingmen were generally farmers. The major character in this story is Colonel Sartoris Snopes, called “Sarty” by his family who is a ten-year-old boy. In the beginning, Sarty is portrayed as a confused and frightened young boy. He is in despair over the burden of doing the right thing or sticking by his family, as his father states,” You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you.”
What prompts Sarty to betray his own moral character is his fear of Abner, who he describes as the “black, flat, and bloodless . . . voice harsh like tin and without heat like tin”(279). Time and again, Sarty has witnesse...
The luxury of strength is noticed, and the reader begins to understand not only the true meaning of survival but also the importance of sacrifice. With open eyes, the older sibling begins to see the effect of their decision on others, not only the personal benefits. When making challenging decisions, it is easy for people to think first of themselves and second about the effect it will have on others. The reader is now put in the scenario that, “[t]here is something [...] [they] know that [they] have not yet told. [....] If you tell,” the mysterious secret you know, that is, “thirty or forty or a hundred of your friends, your comrades, will be caught and will die” (Atwood 98). Real peoples’ lives are in your hands, and they ultimately rely on your decision. In the pure essence of the morning, being offered the bread seems right, as you have just awoken from the night with the need to refuel. As the day draws to a close you begin to regret your baleful decision. Atwood writes that the torture takes place in the night, reinstating its severity, realis, and symbolic meaning. Instead of being a time for of rest and rejuvenation, night is now a time of
At first glance, the story “Barn burning” seems just to be about a tyrannical father and a son who is in the grips of that tyranny. I think Faulkner explores at least one important philosophical question in this story were he asks at what point should a person make a choice between what his parent(s) and / or family believes and his own values?
In the story “Barns Burning” Abner Snopes, the father is accused of burning a neighbor’s barn. Sarty is faced with a decision that will shape the rest of his life. Sarty is called to the stand, but because the plaintiff is ultimately unwilling to force him to testify against his own father, the case is closed, and the father is advised to leave that part of the country. As the family Sarty,
William Faulkner’s short story “Barn Burning” describes a typical relationship between wealthy people and poor people during the Civil War. The main character, Abner Snopes, shares the ropes to make a living for his family. He despises wealthy people. Out of resentment for wealthy people, he burns their barns to get revenge.
...eard the gunfire, no longer in terror and fear, "Father. My Father he thought." Sarty tried to think good thoughts about his father thinking, "he was brave!" He served as a solder under Colonel Sartoris in the war! When the morning sun came up, he was finally on his own to be his own man, free to make his own individual decisions without worrying about what his father would do to him. It was from Sarty's dilemma of family loyalty and the desire to please his father that kept him from doing the right things. Was his father so bitter due to experiences he had during the Civil War ? Was it society's fault for what happened to his father? Was Abner just born with his us against them attitude? These are all questions that Faulkner leaves with us after reading the "Barn Burning." and is part of that fire in the back of our minds that we will never be able to put out..