Barn Burning
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William FaulknerÆs short story ôBarn Burningö is a tale of moral development and transcendence of the past. Sarty is a young man who recognizes that he must follow his own code of morality with respect to his willingness to tell the truth even though it may bring punishment to his father. SartyÆs father is a vestige of the past, a man who is self-serving and expects his family (an extension of him) to assist him in his self-serving aims. Because of his poverty and class distinctions which are pointed out to Abner, he resorts to thievery and profiteering during the Civil War and to arson against the wealthy after the war. In AbnerÆs mind, he is getting one up on the social forces that purposefully try to hold him down. He views himself as a ôlower-classö David, victorious against the forces of the bigger and more powerful Goliath-like ôupper-class.ö Sarty, in contrast, knows his fatherÆs conduct is wrong but is pressured by the emotions of blood ties to lie for his father. In refusing to life for his father, Sarty not only develops a more mature code of morality but he transcends the limitations of his fatherÆs character that are rooted in a previous eraÆs injustices. Through the use of symbolism, Faulkner illustrates the characters of Abner and Sarty as well as this transcendence over the past. There are three primary symbols used by Faulkner in ôBarn Burningö to reveal the characters of Abner and Sarty and to illustrate SartyÆs vict
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ong to lie, he goes through considerable psychic pain over knowing he will have to, ôHe aims for me to lieàand I will have to do hit,ö (Faulkner, p. 217). Therefore, Faulkner uses symbolism in the form of fire and blood to show the difference in character of Abner and Sarty.
Abner is also depicted as an unfair and unjust man who is driven by self-interest and his feelings of persecution by the wealthy and powerful in society. AbnerÆs name is a Biblical reference to the figure of Abner who ôopposed the reign of David,ö and who, like FaulknerÆs Abner, feels he is owed more than he is due, (Loges, p. 43). Even SartyÆs name symbolizes values in his character that will be those which enable him to overcome the limitations of his fatherÆs character. As Loges (p. 43) explains, ôSarty, who is named for Colonel John Sartoris, represents those ideals of truth and integrity.ö Therefore, by using symbolism in his naming of these two characters, Faulkner makes a sharp distinction on the nature of their respective characters. McDonald (p. 48) argues that Faulkner even uses fabricated dialogue to symbolize the agony of SartyÆs dilemma of sticking with family or telling the truth, ôFaulkner may have had Sarty pronounce the h to indicate an
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1349
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)
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