Summary Of William Faulkner's Burning Barn

Burning Barn: Reading Response In William Faulkner’s short story, Burning Barn we see a young boy, Sarty, in conflict with the decisions to either be loyal to his family or do what is morally right and find himself alone. Sarty finally breaks away from his father’s reign because he has finally found the courage to stand up for what is morally right even if he does end up alone. The beginning of the story we can see Sarty, the main character, who seems to be in court with his father, where his father seems to be charged with burning a barn down. After the court session Sarty goes outside with his father and is beaten up and insulted by boys from the town. “Barn burner! Again he could not see, whirling; there was a face in a red haze, moonlike, bigger than the full moon, the owner of it half again his size, he leaping in the red haze toward the face, feeling no blow, feeling no shock when his head struck the earth.” (Faulkner 189)
After that Sarty is bleeding a bit and his mother wants to wash the wound but is forced to do nothing by his father. “She was crying, though when she saw him she drew her sleeve across her face and began to descend from the wagon. Get back, the father said. “He’s hurt. I got to get some water and wash his…”Get back in the wagon, his father said.”
Later in the evening we see Sarty’s father getting kerosene ready to exact his revenge upon the de Spain family by burning down their barn. This is where Sarty finally attempts to stop his father’s reign and take it upon himself to stop him. “De Spain! He cried, panted. Where’s…then he saw the white man too emerging from a white door down the hall. Barn! He cried. Barn!” (Faulkner 199) He told Major de Spain of his father’s ware bouts and de Spain shoots him but not before the fire is set. In the end, his father is dead but he is free and doesn’t look