A review of one of William Faulkner’s short stories, Barn Burning.
This paper discusses the use of opposition and tension to illustrate the major themes of Barn Burning by William Faulkner. The paper describes how these oppositions help to create the tension and mood in the story, and serve as a literary device to illustrate the author’s themes of the initiation of the adolescent into adult life, and the triumph of the personal conscience over family loyalty.
“Sarty’s blood tie to his father versus the pull of moral imperative to society in general is likely the major opposition within Barn Burning. As the story begins, Sartoris Snopes is in court, hoping that he does not have to testify in the arson case against his father, Mr. Snopes. Sarty knows that his father is guilty, but is willing to lie in court because he feels that his blood tie, to his father, or the pull of blood outweighs any moral imperative or decent behavior to society. Sarty thinks that Mr. Harris is his father’s enemy (our enemy he thought in that despair, ourn, mine and hisn both! He’s my father!). Ultimately, Sarty must warn Mr. de Spain of his father’s plans to burn down the plantation, as he cannot stop his father’s actions. In this warning, the moral imperative to society wins out over the blood ties to his father, and Sarty has passed through a difficult and painful initiation into adult life.”