Personal Integrity In William Faulkner's Barn Burning

J.K Rowling wrote, "I swear that I am up to no good". "Barn Burning" is a short story written by William Faulkner. There are some words in the story that are spelled differently than how they should. "William Faulkner has long been categorized as a Southern writer of the oral tradition" (McDonald). In the beginning of the story, Abner is in court testifying that he did not to burn Mr. Harris's barn. Since there is no evidence showing he committed the crime and the judge let him go. When Abner and his family arrive at Major de Spain's plantation, Abner enters de Spain's house and messes up a white rug. Abner is then charged ten extra bushels of corn by the judge, which then causes him to attempt to burn de Spain's Barn. Colonel Sartoris, his

son, goes and tells Major de Spain what he is trying to do and he goes to shoot Abner three times. Abner shows personal insecurity, violence, and the inability to provide basic resources to his family which leads to his demise.
Personal insecurity is found in Abner Snopes throughout the story.

As Mr. Lee stated, "Although the night is cold and the family needs a bigger fire to keep themselves warm, Abner Snopes, who always burn others’ barns, is not capable of providing a bigger fire" (Lee). As they are camping in the woods, Abner decides to make a fire, but not a big one. He feels insecure by not trying to get noticed by anybody. This began during the time when he was a Confederate soldier in the Civil War. He would steal horses from the Union and the Confederate soldiers and run away to the woods. To keep warm he would start fires that are not big enough to be seen by anyone (McDonald). Also, when the Snope's family is in the woods, Abner wakes up his son and starts to question him. "You were fixing to tell them. You would have told him" (Faulkner 3). Abner must have felt insecure about his son panicking when the judge asks him simply what his name is. It is also said in the story by Colonel Sartoris that Abner cannot provide a permanent home to his family. "Because for all the twelve movings, they had sojourned until now in a poor country, a land of small farms and fields and houses..." (Faulkner 4). The quote proves that he is not financially stable to provide his family a permanent

home.
The time When the family arrives at the de Spain plantation, Abner's wife and sister are unloading the wagon. There is a brief description of what they have in the wagon. "… a battered lantern, the other a worn broom" (Faulkner 4) This helps the reader understand that he cannot afford even some basic necessities for his family. The day after Abner messes up the pale white rug, Major de Spain tells him that he will charge twenty bushels of corn as a payment (Faulkner 8). Abner does not think that he will actually give it to him because that price is way too much to pay off a rug. "'He won't git no twenty bushels!' He said, 'He wont git none'" (Faulkner 8). Also, when he takes his two sons to town, he enters a store purchase some food they can snack on. "… he saw his father emerge from the store and produce from a paper sack a segment of cheese.. and produce crackers from the same sack" (Faulkner 9). As stated in the story, Abner can barely produce bite- sized crackers for himself and for his two sons because he cannot afford anything more expensive.
Abner uses violence to satisfy himself because that is probably the only way to help relieve his problems.

It seemed as if he had a connection with fire, "That the element of fire spoke to some deep mainspring of his father's being..." (Faulkner 3). Fire seems to have a special connection with Abner Snopes. In the story, it even says that all he had for four years was a couple of horses and a small fire. "...that niggard blaze was the living fruit of nights passed during those four years in the woods hiding from all men, blue or gray." (Faulkner 3). It is discovered that it was during the Civil War because those two colors were the ones that the soldiers wore at time of War. He is not afraid to use fire to prove his point as well, "Abner Snopes is also depicted as a man who will not hesitate to evoke the power of fire against those who oppose him" (Loges). He is also not afraid to use fire against some one who is against him. Towards the end of "Barn Burning", Abner's son, Sartoris, runs to Major de Spain's house to warn him that his father is trying to burn down his barn (Faulkner 10). This event then leads to Major de Spain to go out on his horse and shoot Abner three times. Abner Snopes was a jerk to not only his family, but also to everyone

else.
Abner Snopes is a character who has some trouble acting like a normal person at his age. His ignorance causes his relationship with his family to suffer. They also lose trust in him because he can not afford to even give them warm meals or even provide them with a permanent home. Violence is the biggest factor of Abner because it leads him to his death at the end of the short story.