Analysis Of Barn Burning

2107 Words5 Pages

Peter Sackett-Ferguson
Ms. Upson
English 373 8-9A
25.4.14
Burning Bridges: the Application of “Barn Burning” in the Junior English canon
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” - William Faulkner
One of the most prominent ideas in the study of history is the belief that history repeats itself and past trends can be applied to modern events as if it were a cycle. Around the world, countless empires and cultures have risen and fallen, often following the same course through the process, and the American South is one of the more recent examples of this; the pattern of meteoric rise followed by dark decadence can be seen in the histories of nearly every culture. William Faulkner, a writer in the American South during the mid-20th century, knew of this more than most, and wrote extensively about the tribulations of the ordinary man in the post-Civil War South, creating the fictional region of Yoknapatawpha County, in which his story, “Barn Burning,” is set. Much of the curriculum of junior English is based around exploring these cycles - The Great Gatsby, for example, explores the decadence of the north-east in the 20’s - and “Barn Burning,” a story about a boy named Sarty’s conflict with his father, Abner, who burns barns in an expression of resentment of the apathetic upper class in the American South, would certainly fit in were it to be included. Faulkner’s incredible presence in world literature, due to the literary value and continued relevance of his works, makes it impossible to avoid teaching him in a higher-level English course. Faulkner’s writings, and “Barn Burning,” are applicable in almost every culture around the world in some way, and his works continue to be read despite the relatively low accessibility he impos...

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...Faulkner’s prose. (7)
Srikanth’s reaction is one enjoyed by readers from many different cultures in response to reading Faulkner. Despite his heritage in one of the more hateful societies of the world, within the race perceived as superior at the time, his writing about failed expectations of the American Dream is applicable to all humans and especially relevant to our English curriculum.
Due to Faulkner’s relevance in modern literature, the literary merit of “Barn Burning,” and the story’s applicability to the core questions and topic of the junior English curriculum, “Barn Burning” should be taught in 11th grade English. No writer exemplifies the American experience quite like Faulkner, especially in his collection of writings surrounding Yoknapatawpha County, and certainly no writer who is so significant in world literature as a pioneer of a new style of writing.

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