Barn Burning Sarty Changes

Through the heat of the fire the young boy has been changed forever. In William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning”, Abner, Sarty’s father, has a tendency of burning buildings which causes Sarty to change his way of life. Colonel Sartoris Snopes experiences many changes in his life starting as an obedient child to a confused boy and ending as an independent man.
Sarty has always been loyal to his father; in fact, he even claimed his father’s enemies. Sarty sat in the courtroom with a little fear but mostly he felt despair and grief. Sarty thinks to himself, “the old fierce pull of blood” (162). He says that feeling that he must be loyal. Sarty was in the courtroom where he could not see his father or his father’s enemy, but he could hear them speaking.

“Our enemy he thought in that despair; ourn! Mine and hisn both! He’s my father!” said Sarty (162). In that moment, he claims his father’s enemies as his. Abner and Sarty were camping and Sarty just ate and was half way asleep when his father wanted Sarty to follow him. Colonel Sartoris Snopes always listens to his father, “his father called him, and once again he followed” (166).

Abner was taken to court again for a problem with destroying a rug.

“He ain’t done it! He ain’t burnt…” claimed Sarty (175). No matter what Abner had done or has a reputation for doing Sarty will defend his

father.
Although Colonel Sartoris Snopes usually listens to everything his father said, he is slowly making his own decisions.

Abner just stepped in fresh horse dropping and was walking towards Major de Spain’s house. Colonel Sartoris Snopes thought to himself, “Maybe he will feel it too. Maybe it will even change him now from what maybe he couldn’t help but be.” (169). Right then Sarty is secretly hoping his father will change. Sarty’s Father has completely destroyed the expensive rug of the major’s and the major has requested 20 bushels from Abner. Sarty thinks about the harsh punishment that has father has to endure while hoping that the whole situation will be over with soon: “Maybe this is the end of it. Maybe even that twenty bushels that seems hard to have to pay for just a rug will be cheap price for him to stop forever and always from being what he used to be,” (174). Abner started preparing to burn something down. In the story Faulkner writes, “’Go to the barn and get that can of oil we were oiling the wagon with,’ he said. The boy did not move,” (178). In other words, Sarty hesitates to do exactly what his father says. He was running out of the house towards the stable like his father had told him to do. “I could keep on. I could run on and on and never look back, never need to see his face again. Only I can’t,” Sarty thought

(178).

Colonel Sartoris Snopes did not want to go through with his father’s plan. Sarty has found out that he cannot listen to everything his father says.
Sarty has finally realized his father has flaws and that he can control his own life. Abner questioned his son wondering if Sarty was going to tell the judges the truth or not. Sarty whispered, “Yes.”(167). Sarty admits to his father that he would have told the truth and got his father in trouble. Sarty’s father had to go to court, once again, for the rug issue. “Go back to the wagon,” his father said. Sarty reacted by, “he merely retreated to the rear of the room.” (175). Sarty did leave but not to wear his father told him to go. Colonel Sartoris Snopes had went to stop his father from the terrible deed he was about to do, but he was too late, shots were made. Sarty “did not look back” (182) because he was through with that part of his life.
Sarty goes through many changes throughout his childhood that lead to him being independent. Sarty started his journey listening to everything his father says. Colonel Sartoris Snopes then makes his way to defying his father. In the end, Sarty knows that he can control his life better than Abner could.