Ice Cream
Jean Dickson Bertrand
Enc 1102
Harris 11:30
February, 21 2013
Barn Burning At the end of the 19th Century, the southern part of the United States of America suffers considerably. The Great Depression, the inter- class conflicts, the socio- economic turmoil, and the sharecropping structure are among things that can push one with a villain’s core to commit cruel actions. The setting of William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” demonstrates a vivid picture of life in the south during that period of time. Faulkner’s short story portrays the struggle of an abused ten year old boy, Colonel Sartoris Snopes (Sarty), son of Abner Snopes, an emotionless and malicious man known best in ruining others’ property. Sarty is confronted with the dilemma of choice between loyalty to his family and loyalty to principle and integrity. [A rich, vivid description of the setting] In Sarty’s world violence seems to be a fundamental factor of manhood. Abner Snopes, his father, a thoughtless force of violence and destruction is unethical and cold without any regard for others and their property. His sadism is nourished by envy and anger. Snopes’ need for revenge is borne of his sense of inferiority and lack of power and gradual emasculation by the depressing sharecropping structure. Sarty’s choice is either being loyal to his father, or doing what his guts tell him to do. In his mind there is no doubt that it is completely immoral of his father to burn people’s barns, but on the other hand Snopes constantly plays in Sarty’s mind with his credo about family, “You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you” (Faulkner 3). This so called credo drafts the conflict that is prowling around the young boy’s brain and constantly raises this question: What about the concept of right and wrong? In other term if you do not blindly side with your family whether the family is right or wrong, you will be on your own when you need help. Actually this is
Enc 1102
Harris 11:30
February, 21 2013
Barn Burning At the end of the 19th Century, the southern part of the United States of America suffers considerably. The Great Depression, the inter- class conflicts, the socio- economic turmoil, and the sharecropping structure are among things that can push one with a villain’s core to commit cruel actions. The setting of William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” demonstrates a vivid picture of life in the south during that period of time. Faulkner’s short story portrays the struggle of an abused ten year old boy, Colonel Sartoris Snopes (Sarty), son of Abner Snopes, an emotionless and malicious man known best in ruining others’ property. Sarty is confronted with the dilemma of choice between loyalty to his family and loyalty to principle and integrity. [A rich, vivid description of the setting] In Sarty’s world violence seems to be a fundamental factor of manhood. Abner Snopes, his father, a thoughtless force of violence and destruction is unethical and cold without any regard for others and their property. His sadism is nourished by envy and anger. Snopes’ need for revenge is borne of his sense of inferiority and lack of power and gradual emasculation by the depressing sharecropping structure. Sarty’s choice is either being loyal to his father, or doing what his guts tell him to do. In his mind there is no doubt that it is completely immoral of his father to burn people’s barns, but on the other hand Snopes constantly plays in Sarty’s mind with his credo about family, “You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you” (Faulkner 3). This so called credo drafts the conflict that is prowling around the young boy’s brain and constantly raises this question: What about the concept of right and wrong? In other term if you do not blindly side with your family whether the family is right or wrong, you will be on your own when you need help. Actually this is