Barn Burning Symbolism

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“Barn Burning” by William Faulkner was written in the late 1800’s, and it is short story dealing with slavery. This was a time when colored people were mistreated and thought of as “slaves”. Faulkner chooses to use this kind of language to show to the reader that the characters were not educated at all. The simple title of “Barn Burning” fits the story exceptionally well, as the story is about the antagonist, Abner Snopes, burning a barn. In the late 1800’s people had simpler times, and Faulkner may have chosen a simple name as part of his symbolism. Abner’s son, Sarty, is the protagonist in the story, and he struggles with remaining loyal to his father or doing the right thing for the law. Abner and Sarty face many struggles in “Barn Burning” …show more content…

One internal conflict is immediately introduced at the beginning of the story when Abner is accused of burning Mr. Harris’s barn. Sarty knows that his father burned Mr Harris’ barn, but he also understands the importance of remaining loyal to his father. Shortly after this incident, Sarty is faced with another external struggle when he hears a voice shout, “Barn burner!” This creates madness within Sarty ,and he lashes out at them. Even though he knows deep in his heart that his father is guilty, he still feels the struggle of protecting his father.
Faulkner used a lot of symbolism in the story to draw the reader in. The fires symbolize control for Abner. Abner is not able to control the economic inequality, however he feels he can control the other townspeople by the use of fire. Another theme in the story is family. A family may or may not be a positive situation for some people. Sarty was born into poverty with a father who was controlling. As a young child he did not see this in his father until he started to mature and realized he was using him. The author is teaching a lesson in the story of what one should do if they are in this situation. Even though Sarty may not have had a functional maternal family, he could move toward a family that wasn’t even blood related. Many people today are not born into good families and they find mentors and other families that

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