Barn Burning is a prime example of how William Faulkner’s writing style has developed. Barn Burning starts with the character Abner Snopes who was first introduced in The Hamlet , Barn Burning becomes more complex by adding characters and changing points of view. This article will show how Barn Burning is an important chapter in Faulkner’s development as a writer. It will also explain the character Abner Snopes and show how Barn Burning relates to other works in Faulkner’s canon.
Barn Burning” is an important chapter in William Faulkner’s writing career, because when it was published it showed that he was leaving behind his earlier style of writing that focused mainly on families living in the South and moving towards a more experimental and modernistic style of writing that focuses on individuality and isolation (Lundquist, 1). Barn Burning focuses on the protagonist Abner Snopes who deals with his conflicting emotions of wanting to do what is right while also doing what is necessary for survival.
Barn Burning is important because it shows Snopes’ struggle between following tradition or going against tradition to do what is right. Barn Burning is an example of how Faulkner’s writing style changed from focusing on a few families in the South to focusing on individuals and their struggle within themselves. The character Abner Snopes is a prime example of what William Faulkner was trying to achieve with Barn Burning ; he wanted his readers to be able to better understand human nature and our moral choices that we make every day (McHaney, 1).
Abner Snopes’ burning down Barns ties into William Faulkner’s personal life because he had been charged with arson in 1919 for burning down a barn when he was fighting a brush fire which spread out of control (Moore, 1). Thus, Abner Snopes’ story can also be seen as William Faulkner’s story of guilt and coming to terms with the moral choices he had made in his life. Barn Burning is important because it can be seen as Abner Snopes’ journey through his guilt of setting Barns on fire to realize that burning Barns was wrong.
William Faulkner used Barn Burning to show how morality can affect one’s judgement, this theme resurfaces when Abner Snopes desires the life of luxury but then has conflicting emotions between right and wrong. Barn Burning touches upon society’s morals by being set in Mississippi during the Great Depression when there were struggles for survival everywhere (Lundquist, 1). The different themes in Barn Burning are linked together by how they influence each other within the story.
Barn Burning shows how individuals can be influenced by society and their surrounding environment to make moral choices that influence the life they lead. Barn Burning is a prime example of William Faulkner’s experimental style of writing which was later refined into his more modernistic style of the 1940s and the 1950s (Lundquist, 1). The different points in Barn Burning come from Abner Snopes’ perspective because he is a character who is easily swayed in one direction or another depending on what influences him at any given time (Kaminsky, 1).
A good example of this includes when Abner Snopes thinks about burning down Barns to get revenge against people who wronged him but then denies his desires for revenge because it doesn’t align with his moral code (Kaminsky, 1). Barn Burning is a coming of age story because Abner Snopes grows from a child who has conflicting thoughts on what he should do into an adult who can acknowledge that Barn burning is wrong and then move on to better himself. Barn Burning touches upon the idea of how society views morality as being black and white but many situations are not so simple which means choices have to be made.
While his family is crying and telling him goodbyes, Abner remains still and emotionless. Even when the sheriff gets Abner to leave by beating him up, Abner never shows any emotions throughout the story. This scene shows how cold of a person he really is.
Second, Abner’s unchanging character also shows his lawlessness. Throughout the whole story, Abner has committed crimes such as burning barns and killing livestock without consequences or punishments from anyone else. For example, after he burned the Barnburner’s Barn (which was what Barn Burning refers to), no one even prosecuted him for it because Barn Burners get away with it every time they burn down someone elses’ property.
“The Barn Burning” is narrated by an unnamed young boy through the perspective of his eleven year-old self. He describes the lives of the Snopes family who are forced to leave their home because Abner Snopes has burned another man’s barn. Throughout this story, there were many examples of Abner’s cruelty and neglect towards his family members. His wife took charge in most situations because Abner would not give her directions or even answer her when she asked him for instructions.
It was evident that he had no concern for them as human beings; rather, they were just objects to him on which he ruled on with violence and intimidation. The first scene opens on a cold winter morning where Mrs. Snopes is preparing the fire. Abner Snopes woke up at daybreak and went outside to see if his family had gathered enough wood for the household stove. The narrator described him as, “He was a gaunt man, with a little hard belly… ” Mrs. Snopes comes out of the cabin further away from others where they are speaking softly because she does not want anyone to hear their conversation.
Abner starts by telling her that he will find work in Jefferson to help them get freight on board until his son could come back home after taking care of business. He orders her to take good care of the farm while he is away working since she can handle it better than all other members in this family. She already knows what he will say next before he even says it… “He said that if De Spain or his sons came onto the place while he was gone, to tell them that Barnburner was at work in Jefferson.
Abner tells her not to let Barnburner play with other boys in the area. This is because Barnburner will get into trouble and Abner does not want Barnburner to take any chances since they do not have any money. This family has no one but themselves; thus, nobody can take care of them except for themselves. Next, Barnaburner Snopes apologizes for getting mud on their clothing when visiting Mrs. Littlejohn’s store after having to stay outside until his father finished talking business with Mr. De Spain.
Barnburner is very quiet when Abner orders him to come into the house with him after Barnburner tells his sister that he is hungry. Barnburner’s grandmother speaks up and offers them food, which Abner Snopes declines at first but then changes his mind because he is starving. “… He gave us fried mush and sorghum-molasses; we et it in the kitchen, Barnaburner sitting under the table where he could rest his head on his knees like a puppy while he ate” (113). Then Barnburner starts to cry once they are back outside, asking why Abner hates him so much.
He started by slapping Barnburner’s face hard enough so that the child would begin to cry. Barnburner was sobbing uncontrollably because his father struck him with such force, yet Abner Snopes did not even show any sign of remorse at all. Barnburner’s sister does not understand why their father would do this. Abner Snopes just walked away without giving them any explanations for his behavior toward Barnburner, which he always takes out on since they are the only family left together.