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One of the most significantly noteworthy aspects of the William
Faulkner’s short story ‘Barn Burning’ is the manner in which the
narrative employs perceptual and conceptual characteristics of a young
boy to that of his father in order to espouse the relevance of
socio-cultural moral and ethical stances. This, moreover, is something
that is especially accentuated when considering it in light of the
subtly consistent adversarial relationship that seems to inevitably
develop between Sarty and his father, Abner Snopes.
Respectively identifying the protagonist (s) & the antagonist (s)
While Sarty’s conceptual inclination brings him to view his father’s
indulgence in barn burning as something overtly immoral, this is a view
that his father contends with the notion that being loyal to ones
family is of utmost importance and that thus, Sarty should learn to
accept rather than contradict his father’s behavior. Abner Snopes,
Sarty’s father, emphasizes his point by stating that ‘You got to learn
to stick to your own blood or you ain't going to have any blood to
stick to you’ Faulkner, 1997: p. 219).
Throughout the narrative, Sarty’s description (s) of his father come
through with a sort of grudging respect that indicates that although he
is aware of as well as against the characteristics of his father’s
actual, he is psychologically unprepared to openly admit to this
conflict. Take into consideration, for instance, Sarty’s description of
his father as having character traits that ‘impressed strangers, as if
they got . . . a feeling that his ferocious conviction in the rightness
of his own actions would be of advantage to all whose interest lies
with his’ (Faulkner, 1997: p. 218-19).
The relevance of Sarty’s role as that of protagonist, however,
becomes especially apparent when considering that this respectful
admiration, however, grudging as it is, erodes upon the pretext of his
father’s decision to burn down yet another barn, this time the barn of
Mr. de Spain. Moreover, Abner’s role as antagonist too, is underscored
when considering it in light of the fact that he begins to increasingly
shed the little regard that he has for morality. While he had stuck to
certain subtle moralities during his previous escapades with barn
burning, particularly the sending of some sort of arcane warning
message to the victim to be; Abner plans on setting the de Spain barn
alight without offering even the slightest warning.
This induces Sarty to overcome his fear of his father and to urge
the latter to at least send a warning of some sort; ‘Ain't you even
going to send a [slave]; At least you sent a [slave] before’ (Faulkner,
1997: p. 227). In addition to this, moreover, it would also be relevant
to acknowledge the fact that Sarty does feel inclined to protect his
father’s respect and dignity due to what the latter terms as the ‘pull
of blood’ (Faulkner, 1997) or duty to his family. The significance of
this contradictory attitude, moreover, tends to be accentuated when
considering that although Sarty is on the verge of rightfully
testifying against his father in the courtroom, he becomes
uncharacteristically loyal to protecting the latter’s guilt immediately
after leaving the courtroom.
The overtures of innocence and sorrow in Sarty’s statement that ‘He
aims for me to lie, he thought, and I will have to do hit’ (Faulkner,
1997: 217) are resplendent of the psychological conflict (s) that the
young protagonist must face as an inevitable result of his predicament.
Eventually, however, the idea of Sarty’s role as protagonist within
Faulkner’s ‘Barn Burning’ is sealed when he, Sarty, decides to break
away from the ostensible restraint of the ‘old blood which he had not
been permitted to choose for himself’ (Faulkner, 1997: p. 227).
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