Barn Burning :: Literary Analysis, William Faulkner

Sartys betrayal of his father in William Faulkners story Barn Burning is justified. The reader is introduced to Sartys father as he is being tried for burning the vitamin B of Mr. Harris. Lacking evidence, the Justice of the Peace drops the charges against Abner Snopes, Sartys father, and he is ordered to leave the country. A harsh image of Sartys father is presented in the line, he Sarty followed the stiff black coat, the fibrous figure walking a little stiffly from where a Confederate provosts mans musket ball had taken him in the heel on a stolen horse 30 years ago (2177). The reader is given insight into Snopes shady past and learns he has never been a law-abiding citizen. Sartys inner turmoil centers around his consciousness of loyalty to his father and his own conflict with knowing his fathers actions are wrong. Through Faulkners use of stream-of-consciousness narration, the reader is aware of Sartys thoughts. In one instance, Sarty alludes to Mr. Harris as his f athers opposition (our enemy he thought in that despair, ourn, mine and hisn both Hes my father) (2176). Upon hearing the hiss of someone accusing his father of burning barns, Sarty feels the old fierce suck of blood and is blindly thrust into a fight, only to be physically jerked back by his fathers hand and his cold voice ordering him to get in the wagon. As the Snopes family leaves town, Sarty consoles himself with the hope that this will be the last time his father commits the act that he cannot bring himself to even think of Maybe hes done comfortable now, now that he has (2177). Deep down, Sarty knows his father is not going to end his destructive rampage. Ten-year-old Sarty cannot understand the true reasons for his fathers actions that the element of fire spoke to some ambiguous mainspring of his fathers being, and, even more importantly, the fire served as the one weapon for the preservation of his integrity (2178). Sartys thoughts when he realizes he might be questioned regarding the barn burning study the fear and despair he experiences He aims for me to lie. And I will have to do hit (2176). Later, Sartys father violently reminds him that blood is thicker than water when he accuses Sarty of being ready to betray him.