Barn Burning 4 - 1497 Words

â€Å"Barn Burning† William Faulkner In most stories one reads there is going to be a protagonist and an antagonist. The protagonist is the character in the story that is usually considered the good guy. The antagonist is usually considered the bad guy and clashes with the protagonist. In the story â€Å"Barn Burning† by William Faulkner he has a clear protagonist and antagonist. The protagonist of the story is Sarti. The antagonist of the story is Sarti’s father Abner. Faulkner makes this a very interesting story to read because of the relationship between Sarti and his father. Sarti shows us in the story how scared he is of his father through what he says and his actions. The idea of Sarti ever standing up to him just doesn’t seem possible†¦show more content†¦Or he could go against his father and go and tell DeSpain what his father was planning on doing and stop his dad from burning down the barn. This is so hard for Sarti to decide because of how afraid he is of his father and he also doesn’t want to let his father down. This becomes the crucial life changing decision in Sarti’s life that he is going to have to make. Sarti realizes that the best decision he can make is to go tell Major DeSpain what his father is planning on doing and stop him from doing it. He decides to do this for multiple reasons. The first reason is he wants to protect his father from getting in any more trouble. Even though he doesn’t really like his father and is very scared of him he is still his father and he loves him very much. Another reason that he wants to tell Major DeSpain is because he has become close with him and feels some responsibility to tell him. He likes Major DeSpain and feels like he is a good guy and wants to protect him from his father burning down his barn. The critical approach that Faulkner used in this story was Psychological Criticism because of the way that the father treats his son. The treatment that Sarti receives from his father instills so much pressure in Sarti that he does not know how to handle at such a young age. Abner is the reason for this pressure because of his irresponsible mistakes. The way thisShow MoreRelated Setting in William Faulkners Barn Burning Essay1584 Words   |  7 PagesCritical Viewing on Barn Burning William Faulkner’s use of a setting in a short story, such as â€Å"Barn Burning†, effected the entire outcome of the story from start to finish. In â€Å"Barn Burning†, a young boy must face his father and face the reality of a harsh world. He must also discover for himself that his father is wrong and learn to grow up the right way in a racial environment. Faulkner’s setting is one of the most important literary elements that help the audience understand theRead MoreBoth sides of the Coin in William Faulkner’s short story, Barn Burning812 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Faulkner’s short story, â€Å"Barn Burning,† the character Abner Snopes, who is Sarty’s father as well as a main character of the story, stands out the most compared to other characters because of Faulkner’s description with a sense of irony and critic. Faulkner presents multifaceted characteristics in Abner Snopes that makes the readers think beyo nd the view of the narrator based on logics and circumstances in Abner’s conditions. The setting of ‘‘Barn Burning’’ is the post-Civil War South, theRead MoreCharacter Analysis: Jewel Essay913 Words   |  4 Pages but Faulkner shows that he is an honorable person. 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I believe Abner was continuously portrayed as a negative character throughout the short story by Abnerâ €™s aggressiveness towards everyone he comesRead MoreWilla Cathers Issues with Realism and The Barn Burner, Paragraphs1059 Words   |  4 Pages1. Willa Cather 2. Willa Cather and the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 3. The Barn Burner 4. A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner 1. Willa Cather seems to take issue with the bland and boring nature of realism above all else. She notes that realism is not in itself an artistic expression, yet so many art forms from literature to paintings—particularly from her time period—portray little more than the realism of our world. In her mind, the literalness that is realism can be successfullyRead MoreWilliam Faulkner’s â€Å"Barn Burning†: The Destructiveness of the Human Ego965 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Faulkner’s â€Å"Barn Burning† symbolizes the destructiveness of the human ego through the character, Abner Snopes. Throughout the story, Snopes functions and communicates based on his own logic. He has no regard for his family, superiors, or the judicial system. His unrelenting effort to live according to what he deems as â€Å"right† creates an atmosphere of fear and oppression. Following the barn trial, Snopes’ demeanor towards his son, Colonel Sartoris, clearly demonstrates his use of fearRead MoreBarn Burning By William Faulkner1357 Words   |  6 PagesHenry Award winning short story, â€Å"Barn Burning† was written in 1938 and published by Harper’s in 1939 (â€Å"William,† par. 12). In many ways the story is a product of â€Å"both a turbulent time in America’s history and Faulkner’s personal history† (Parker 101). America was emerging from the Great Depression just in time to see World War II looming on the horizon while Faulkner was struggling with â€Å"finances, a drinking problem, and a new mistress† (Parker 102). In â€Å"Barn Burning† Faulkner makes extensive useRead MoreThe Importance of Literary Elements in Barn Burning1478 Words   |  6 PagesThe Importance of Literary Elements in Barn Burning Understanding literary elements such as patterns, reader/writer relationships, and character choice are critical in appreciating William Faulkners Barn Burning. Some literary elements are small and almost inconsequential while others are large and all-encompassing: the mothers broken clock, a small and seemingly insignificant object, is used so carefully, extracting the maximum effect; the subtle, but more frequent use of dialectalRead MoreEssay on The Importance of Literary Elements in Barn Burning1478 Words   |  6 PagesThe Importance of Literary Elements in Barn Burning  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Understanding literary elements such as patterns, reader/writer relationships, and character choice are critical in appreciating William Faulkners Barn Burning. Some literary elements are small and almost inconsequential while others are large and all-encompassing: the mothers broken clock, a small and seemingly insignificant object, is used so carefully, extracting the maximum effect; the subtle, but more frequent use of dialectalRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Barn Burning By William Faulkner1105 Words   |  5 PagesWhen reading the short story â€Å"Barn Burning† by William Faulkner, understanding literary elements such as patterns, word choice as well as reader/writer relationships are essential in appreciating Faulkner’s literary piece. Some of the literary elements found in the story are small and are almost immaterial while others are large and all-encompassing. For example, the mother’s fragmented clock, a small and insignificant object, is used so carefully in order to extract the maximum effect from the viewers;