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A short summary of William Faulkner's short story Barn Burning, which depicts the violent and destructive nature of the Snopes family. The story follows the young Sartoris Snopes, who witnesses his father's arson and murder, and his attempts to escape from the family's legacy.
- Important Quotes Explained
Explanation of the famous quotes in Barn Burning, including...
- Themes
A summary of Themes in William Faulkner's Barn Burning....
- Abner Snopes
A detailed description and in-depth analysis of Abner Snopes...
- Barn Burning: Study Guide
From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations...
- Important Quotes Explained
A boy named Sarty witnesses his father, Abner Snopes, burn down a barn and face the consequences. Sarty struggles with his loyalty to his father and his own conscience as he grows up in a poor and violent family.
A boy named Sarty witnesses his father's defiance of the law and the community in a rural courtroom. He struggles with his loyalty to his family and his sense of justice, and faces the consequences of his father's actions.
- Barn Burning Summary
- Background of The Story
- Characters Analysis
- Themes in Barn Burning
- Literary Analysis
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
The protagonist of the story Colonel Sartoris Snopes is sitting in a store where a case is being listened to. The charge is against his father, Mr. Snopes, and is put by their landlord Mr. Harris. The charge is that of burning Mr. Harris’s barn. Colonel Sartoris Snopes is sitting in a lower place and cannot see the people speaking. Mr. Harris asser...
The story “Barn Burning” is written by an American writer William Faulkner. It was published in June 1939. Faulkner holds a distinct position among the American writers of the twentieth century. He is well known for his short stories and novels. The short story “Barn Burning” proved to be a vital point in his career as he wrote three novels revolvi...
Colonel Sartoris Snopes
Colonel Sartoris Snopes is a young guy and the protagonist of the story. He is small in stature and has gray eyes and brown hair. He is split between loyalty to his family and morality. He is not allowed to have a say in any matter. Rather, he is judged and beaten for things he might have done. Regardless of the oppression his father exercises in his family, he can see the right side and choose it against his family’s interest. He informs de Spain’s servant about his father’s intention and ru...
Abner Snopes
He is the patriarch of the Snopes family. Most of the action of the story is driven by this character. He is a habitual criminal who burns the barns of his landlords. He is described to have a limp in his walk due to the shot he received when he was stealing a horse. He is a mysterious character who behaves badly with anyone he meets. He does not care whether the person in his front is his employer or family member. His behavior with his family members is very oppressive as he scolds and beat...
Lennie Snopes
Lennie Snopes—the wife of Sartoris—is the exact opposite of Mr. Snopes. She is a caring and emotional lady who is fed up with her husband’s deeds. She tries to provide care and comfort to Sartoris when he is injured but is not allowed to do so. She also tries to make her husband leave his vile course of action. Throughout the story, she appears as the constant object of suppression. Her husband does not let her live her life without his interference. It seems that he exercises his wishes of s...
Class Difference
The difference between the economically stable class and the unstable class appears as one of the most dominant themes of the story. The Snopes family lacks the resources which the landlords like Mr. Harris and Major de Spain have in abundance. This difference proves to be the major factor behind the vengeful actions of Mr. Snopes. At Mr. Harris’s farm, Mr. Snopes is unable to digest the authority of his landlord. He lets his animal do what he wants to do—transgress into the property of Mr. H...
Patriarchal Influence on Family
The story discusses the influence a patriarch has on his family. The way the family life of the characters in this story is depicted shows that the patriarch of a family has a huge effect on almost every sphere of the members’ lives. The two families portrayed in this story are the Snopes family and the de Spain family. In the Snopes family, we see that the patriarch is Mr. Snopes. He does not let any member of the family do anything against his will. He is involved in criminal activities, bu...
Humanity versus Family
In the story, the major dilemma faced by the protagonist is that of selection between humanity and family. Sartoris’s family asks him to support them in doing what they do regardless of any moral considerations. He has problems in doing so. At first, this situation of choosing between family and humanity arises in the first court hearing. However, he luckily evades it. At de Spain’s farm, he again faces such a situation. He has the choice of remaining silent and helping his father in burning...
The story seems to narrate the events of a crime and revenge on the surface. However, a deeper insight into the story reveals that it discusses issues of wider significance. Mr. Snopes appears as a negative character in the story but the narrator presents his reasons as well. He describes how the psyche of criminals works and they are not wrong in ...
Learn about the plot, themes, characters, and literary analysis of William Faulkner's short story Barn Burning. The story follows the Snopes family, who are forced to leave their home after a barn fire and face more hardships in their new landlord's house.
A short story by William Faulkner about a boy named Sartoris Snopes, who witnesses his father's arson and defiance of authority. The story explores themes of inheritance, loyalty, and the Snopes family's rebellious nature.
William Faulkner's Barn Burning Plot Summary. Learn more about Barn Burning with a detailed plot summary and plot diagram.
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