Barn Burning
William Faulkner's short story "Barn Burning" describes a typical relationship between wealthy people and poor people during the Civil War. The main character, Abner Snopes, sharecrops to make a living for his family. He despises wealthy people. Out of resentment for wealthy people, he goes and burns their bards to get revenge. Abner's character over the course of the story is unchanging in that he is cold hearted, lawless, and violent.First, Abner's unchanging character shown his cold heartless. After being sentenced to leave the country for burning a man's barn, he shows no emotion to his family. During the story, there was not a time when he apologized or offered a work of encouragement to them. His tone of voice when talking to them is bitter and bossy, and he never said thank you. Later in the story after they had arrived at their next house, he orders his wife, her sister and his two daughters to unload the wagon. He walks wi
As a result he set out that night and put DeSpain's barn on fire. Abner and his family traveled to their next house where things got off to a bad start. The court ruled in DeSpain's favor fining him, "to the amount of ten bushels of corn over and above your contract with him, to be paid to him out of your crop at gathering time" (226), thus setting off Abner's anger. Later in the evening Abner calls his son to get to return the rug to DeSpain. "This is enough to satisfy Anber yet again the social system only works on behalf of the rich, and he sets out that night to redress this wrong by burning DeSpain's barn (855). Just a few days had gone by and Abner took Major DeSpain to court claiming his fine was to high for the damage he did to his rug. After being told to clean the rug, Abner took a rock and further ruined it. Abner's unchanging character is evident not only in his role as being cold-hearted but also in his role as being lawless. Abner's act of breaking the law begins when he was supposed to be fighting in the Civil War, but instead he stole horses from both sides of the lines. Abner was later charged for the damages he did to the rug. His coldness is shown when he demands his two daughters to clean the rug in pots of lye and then hanging it to dry. After sly remarks of "barn burner"(218) from a group of people standing near, Abner tells his family to get in the wagon and get ready for travel. I don't figure to stay in a country among people who. "Abner moves through life with no regard for his fellow humans and with no respect for their right of material possessions" (731).
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Acceptance Essays
