In Barn Barning by William Faulker, Sarty faces some hard decisions in his life. He is confronted with loyalty to his family and to honor and justice. While it might seem that Barning Burning is about loyalty, the story + is an initiation from childhood to manhood. Barn Burning is an initiation story which provide believable account of modern rite of passage into adulthood. Sarty endures a challenging experience that prepares him for adulthood.
The Puritans were an extremely religious lot that came to America from England in hopes of finding religious freedom. In doing so they not only founded the colony of Massachusetts but also created some of the most memorable religious poems and sermons to this day. Two writers Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards are to writers who wrote on the same subject,but they had very different approaches to addressing that matter. Anne Bradstreet wrote a poem about God’s wrath and mercy titled “ Upon the Burning of Our House.”. In the poem her house burns down and subsequently killed her husband.
Abner again is outraged by the amount he is charged with and takes De Spain to court. Abners charge is lessened to 10 bushels yet he still is furious and feels he's being treated unfairly. Shortly after, he burns De Spains barn and is most likely killed by De Spain himself after Sarty told him Abner was setting is barn on fire(Faulkner).” Although there are other ways Abner could have made his feelings of oppression be known, he chose to act irrationally and intentionally burned his barn in hopes of getting his point across. Over all Abners character in “Barn Burning” represents the poor white families in the old south at this time.
Though “Barn Burning” appears to be a strange story with little value at first glance, it actually withholds a great deal of significance. In fact, the story’s oddities contribute to its literary value. The grotesque elements create mystery, leading an audience to seek for meaning. William Faulkner designed the story in a way that forces readers to search for an answer, rather than blatantly displaying said answer. The main theme, literary device, and style of “Barn Burning” all come together to create not just a simple, easily interpreted short story, but a story with true depth and value.
Given the time period of the story, Abner is representative of the poor whites in the south that was crippled by the war. This further reveals Abner’s antipathy for the Negro because during this period, poor whites were viewed and valued even less if not the same as Negroes. Hence this explains his wolf-like independence and stubbornness to amend his ways and the way he views the world. Even though time has progress, Abner has not and remains this outlaw and abusive man to his family and
Barn Burning” is a story about a boy's struggle between his love for and loyalty to his father and doing what he knows is morally correct. Throughout the story, the family’s loyalty bursts into flames time and time again. The son, known as Sarty, has
Dealing with internal conflict can be something that ever human being experiences at some time or another in their life time. This is exactly Colonel Sartoris Snopes “Sarty,” a ten-year-old child, encounters when he has to decide rather to remain loyal to his father or fight for what is morally right within himself and society. Being the major character in William Faulkner’s, “Barn Burning” this young boy is placed under the scrutiny of having to lie for his father in order to remain loyal and protect the freedom of his father or be honest and do what is right for the protection of others possession. In the story, there will be a dynamic change in Satoris character from following the demands of his father to understanding what is justly
The book Burning Down the House: The End of Juvenile Prison, by Nell Bernstein is a compelling expose on the inherent evil of juvenile detention facilities. In her eye-opening account of the danger that lies within locking up this nation’s youth, Bernstein utilizes a plethora of rhetorical strategies to urge her audience to recognize and act on her claim. In writing this account on the heinousness of juvenile detention centers and why the system as a whole must be reformed, Bernstein uses personal cause and effect examples, studies and statistics, as well as concrete refutations to advocate the world for change. Bernstein starts her argument by providing readers with personal examples of the effects juvenile detention centers had on a handful of the kids she interviewed. Her first example briefly narrates how Jared, an adolescent many would
“It was a pleasure to burn,” especially for Guy Montag, the fireman in Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451. Fire is a recurring symbol of the book, usually showing up with Montag when there is trouble or change. By examining to the novel and its deeper meaning, the reader is shown how Bradbury provides two different meanings of fire, and can learn how truly significant fire is. Bradbury uses the symbol of fire to represent both powerful destruction and beautiful creation. From poetic phrases to simple statements, fire is shown in two different lights, both of which show the true character of the element.
Harris’s barn was aflame; he was only able to rescue the livestock from inside. Abner believed that Mr. Harris had wronged him by charging a dollar to take back the pig that escaped; consequently, he burned Mr. Harris’s barn. Burning property is the only way Abner knows how to handle his sense of anger and vengeance. Faulkner writes, “that the element of fire spoke to some deep mainspring of his father’s being … as the one weapon for the preservation of integrity, else breath were not worth breathing, and hence to be regarded with respect and used with discretion” (228). When reading this short story, the question may arise as to why Abner burns the barn but not the farm houses.
Fire is a constant threat in “Barn Burning,” and it represents both Snopes’s inherent powerlessness and his quest for power and self-expression. After the family has been run out of town, because Snopes burned a barn, and Snopes steals a split rail from a fence and makes a small fire by the roadside, barely functional and hardly suited to the large family’s needs on a cold evening. He’d committed his fiery crime in a desperate hold at power, but now he reveals how utterly powerless he is to adequately care for his family. When Snopes turns the fire on the others property, however, his power increases, although, criminally. Snopes has grown adept at committing crimes and escaping undetected, and his entire family is drawn into this pattern of lying and evasion.
Jason Behr, who is an American film actor, says, “It is not about finding a home so much as finding yourself.” Behr’s quote relates to Williams Faulkner’s story, Barn Burning because Sartoris, who starts as a skinny and hungry boy, ends as a courageous, independent, and hungry boy. Sartoris Snopes is a son of Abner and Lennie, who also has three other children. Sartoris is two out of the four siblings that Abner takes on his felonies and court rearrangements. At the beginning of the story, Abner is on trial for being accused of burning Mr. Harris’s barn; Sartoris is called to the stand.
In the book “Black boy” By Richard Wright, The main character, Which is the author himself is a little different from his family. Which brings up the concept of Nature vs. Nurture. Nature is something that always been a part of you ever since you were born. For example personalities, personalities separates each and every human being on earth. A couple may get inherited by fathers and mothers, but there are also few that separates from them.
The theme of justice also can be shown because of the two courtroom scenes. Barn Burning shows many different perspectives on justice, and shows that the process of legal justice is not always fair. For Sarty, justice means not hurting others and always telling the truth. As accurately stated by Max Loges, “Sarty, who is named after Colonel John Sartoris, represents those ideals of truth and integrity.” (1) However, Sartys father feels the need to punish everyone for the way he has been treated and the many injustices in his life.
In William Faulkner’s story “Barn Burning”, the reader sees a young boy who struggles with his relationship with his father Abner Snopes. Sarty, the young boy, knows what his father has done is wrong. Because of this he is stuck in between being faithful to his father and family and telling the truth about what his father has done. As the story progresses it is easy for readers to see him struggle more and more with trying to keep his father’s actions a secret. He begins to think about himself and the consequences he could face for what Abner is doing.
