Barn Burning is a drama-based short story by William Faulkner. Its short tale "Barn Burning" is about a furious, abusive father and his son, published in 1939. The story deals with class conflicts, the influence of fathers, and vengeance as viewed through third-person perspective of a young, impressionable child. It precedes The Hamlet, The Town, and The Mansion, the three novels that make up Faulkner's Snopes trilogy. A hungry boy named Sarty craves the stew and bread in the store. He is afraid. His father, Abner Snopes, is in court.
Colonel Satoris "Sarty" Snopes, ten years old, has an aggressive, drunken father who beats him up and burns down his employers' barns. They pay a visit to Major de Spain, a wealthy nobleman. Abner is back in court, this time with Mr. de Spain, who is accusing him of stealing twenty maize bushels.
Sarty is a staunch supporter of his father. He, on the other hand, lets loose and rushes to give the alert, but it's too late; the barn is already on fire. Three times he heard gunshots. Sarty was on a hill at midnight, mourning the death of his father. However, he notices that the source of his worry has vanished. He sleeps well and feels better when he wakes up. Sarty ventures into the woods.
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Outline
Barn Burning
Overview
Set in the South 30 years after the Civil War, "Barn Burning" follows the harrowing story of Sarty Snopes, a young boy from an extremely poor farming family. Sarty must choose between loyalty to his blood ties—especially his violent, terrifying father, Abner—and standing up for his own values and hopes for a better future.
1.Abner Snopes goes on trial when he is accused of barn burning.
2.The Snopes family is run out of town and must start life anew.
3 Abner ruins the rug of their new landlord, Major de Spain.
4 Abner sues de Spain for charging him 20 bushels of corn to replace the rug.
5 Abner, feeling justice has not been done, burns down de Spain's barn.
6 Sarty runs to warn de Spain and then strikes off on his own, leaving his family for good.
Main Characters
Sarty
Loyal but conflicted 10-year-old boy
Abner
Sarty's bitter, violent father
Major de Spain
Rich, haughty landowner
Mr. Harris
Compassionate landowner seeking justice
The Aunt
Opinionated, strong relative; helps on the farm
Numbering
0
Diplomas or degrees earned by Faulkner
2:14
Time on the broken clock that was Lennie's dowry
12+
Times the Snopes family has moved
1980
Year a short-film adaptation starring Tommy Lee Jones as Abner was released
Themes
Justice
Abner resents the iniustices he feels life has brought on him and takes matters into his own hands—but faces consequences when others seek justice.
Loyalty
Sarty is torn between loyalty to his family and loyalty to his own ethics and desires.
Choices
Characters' actions correspond to their own moral code—Abner acts out of desire for revenge, while Sarty chooses what he thinks is right.
Symbols
Rug
Symbolizes Abner's anger toward more prosperous, "privileged" people
Fire
Represents the the destruction and sustenance of life
Abner's Foot Injury
Stands for the permanent damage done to his soul
Author
WILLIAM FAULKNER 1897-1962
An American author and Nobel Prize winner,Faulkner wrote poetry, short stories, screenplays, and novels, often about life in the South. Stories such as "Barn Burning" tackled dark topics that many other writers avoided: prejudice, poverty, violence, and the struggle between the social classes.
Barn Burning Mind Map
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Barn Burning
Overview
Main Characters
Themes
Set in the South 30 years after the Civil War, "Barn Burning" follows the harrowing story of Sarty Snopes, a young boy from an extremely poor farming family. Sarty must choose between loyalty to his blood ties—especially his violent, terrifying father, Abner—and standing up for his own values and hopes for a better future.
1.Abner Snopes goes on trial when he is accused of barn burning.
2.The Snopes family is run out of town and must start life anew.
3 Abner ruins the rug of their new landlord, Major de Spain.
4 Abner sues de Spain for charging him 20 bushels of corn to replace the rug.
5 Abner, feeling justice has not been done, burns down de Spain's barn.
Numbering
6 Sarty runs to warn de Spain and then strikes off on his own, leaving his family for good.
Sarty
Loyal but conflicted 10-year-old boy
Abner
Sarty's bitter, violent father
Major de Spain
Rich, haughty landowner
Mr. Harris
Compassionate landowner seeking justice
Justice
Abner resents the iniustices he feels life has brought on him and takes matters into his own hands—but faces consequences when others seek justice.