...Ritchwood Dr. Angela Elliot Introduction to Literary Analysis ENG1005A Breaking Free William Faulkner’s story “Barn Burning” seems just to be about an oppressive father and a son who is in the grips of that oppression. I think Faulkner explores at least one important philosophical question in this story where he asks at what point should a person make a choice between what his parent(s) and/or family believes and his own values? The main character and protagonist in this story is a boy named Colonel Sartoris, who is nicknamed Sarty. In this story, Sarty is faced with the decision of both going along with the views and actions of his ethically challenged father or assert his own ethics and independence by running away and leaving his family and his pain behind. In William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning”, Sarty and his father Abner struggle with internal emotions dealing with their way of life. The antagonist in the story is Abner Snopes. Abner is a very angry and inconsiderate man who has hate and abomination for almost anybody who is not “blood-kin”, and he portrays that hatred and disapproval throughout the story. This story follows the typical format and is narrated in the third person. In the exposition, Faulkner’s skill as a writer is established through the way that he uses details to draw the readers into the story. Also, in the first paragraph we are introduced to the main character and protagonist in the story, Sarty. The setting in which Sarty’s conflict is established...
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...In the story “Barn Burning”, the characters and their individual personalities are what drives the plot. Some characteristics that Sarty and Abner have are both positive and negative. Abner, who is a static character throughout the story, shows more negative character traits such as criminality and violence towards Sarty and his wife Lennie. Sarty, on the other hand, displays more positive character traits like honesty and having a strong conscious. In the beginning of the story, Sarty feels belittled, powerless, and trapped, however, he learns what his priorities are. Though some decisions are harder to make than others, Sarty overcomes his fear of losing his family’s trust as the story moves on. The development of the characters in “Barn...
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...The Glass Menagerie, Barn Burning, and Ulysses all have something in common. A significant character from each work abandoned his family to seek out his own needs. As I read the three different literary works recently I reflected on what a one-of-a-kind thing a family is to each of us. Is it wrong to put our own needs above that of our parents, our brothers and sisters, or even our spouses or children? Even when raised by the by the same parents, in the same community we all grow into unique individuals with directions of our own, independent from the aspirations of our parents and siblings. As I read the three pieces of literature The Glass Menagerie, Barn Burning, and Ulysses it got me thinking about some of the ways in which I feel about my own family situation. I know I could never leave them, but I do know so many people who have set off away from their families. I sometimes desperately envy those with that freedom. In all three works, there is a balance to be found towards responsibility and commitment to family, and freedom and choice to self. For the purpose of this essay I will compare the roles of Tom from The Glass Menagerie, Sarty in Barn Burning, and Ulysses in the poem Ulysses. Although they each served a different role in the family as a brother, father, and a son, they in the end all made a decision to leave their families in each literary piece. | In the play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, the main character Tom Wingfield struggles...
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...Literary Analysis Essay 1 A Strong Bond The theme in “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner revolved around the strong bond of a family. The main character has to make a decision between what is right and wrong. This drives a wedge between him and his family. The rest of the family believes that blood is thicker than water and that you should stick with your own kin. In the story the strong bond of a family causes conflicts within the main character. Faulkner starts “Barn Burning” with a view of a small courthouse. Sarty sits outside as his father, Abner, argues with the Justice of the Peace. This shows just how little respect Abner has for the law. Abner is being accused of setting someone’s barn on fire. The Justice rules that Abner should pack his belongings and leave the country before dark. Abner and his sons then head out to the wagon where the rest of his family awaits. They ride for a while before camping out in some trees. The next day they arrive at the house and begin unpacking. Then Abner leaves and sets route to the De Spain’s house. Upon arrival he barges through the door and calmly wipes his feet over the expensive white carpet. He has no respect for others or their belongings. A couple hours later a man arrives with the rug and tells Abner to clean it. He does not only clean the rug, but he also sets it on fire to prove that he is above the law. After getting in trouble with the Justice of Peace again Abner prepares to set fire to the De Spain’s barn to show...
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...As children, we believe our parents can do no wrong. The same is true within Barn Burning, a story by William Faulkner. This story follows a family that must move as a result of the father, referred to as Abner, committing arson upon a neighbor’s barn. Abner is almost always accompanied by his son, Colonel Sartoris, or “Sarty” for short. Because of this, Sarty witnesses all of Abner’s wrongdoings. Sarty is even put in positions where he must lie for his father. Once they move, Sarty hopes that his father will change his ways and stop committing crimes. He attempts to justify his father’s actions by repeating to himself that his father was in the war. However, his father has not always been truthful about his time in the war, causing Sarty to...
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...A Literary Analysis of “Barn Burning” In the beginning, “Barn Burning” appears to be a story about an oppressive father and his family, who seems to be caught up in his oppression. As you read further in to the story you find that the story is focused on a young son of a poor sharecropper, who has to struggle with his father’s arsonist tendencies which are destroying his families’ reputation and life style, while coming to terms with his own morality. The young son, whose name is Colonel Sartoris Snopes, is the protagonist in this story. Sarty (the boy’s nickname) disapproves of his father’s destructive actions and soon has to decide whether to be loyal to his family or give in to his own values of morality. Abner Snopes, who is the boy’s father, is the antagonist in the story. Abner Snopes is a very angry man, who despises the aristocracy class of people whom he has to work for and throughout the story constantly displays this hatred. The story is narrated in third person and follows a typical format. In Faulkner’s writing style, he uses descriptive dictation to draw the reader’s in to the story. In the first paragraph Faulkner introduces us to the main character in the story, Sarty. Subsequently, throughout the story we are introduced to the other family members. The setting in which Sarty’s conflict is recognized is at a trial, where his father is being accused of setting a barn on fire. This is also where Faulkner allows us a glimpse of Sarty’s internal moral dilemma in regards...
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