In the short story, "Barn Burning," William Faulkner employs the
             literary technique of irony in several instances to illustrate character
             development as well as express his opinions. It is through the experiences
             of a young Sarty that an older Sarty is able to look back on his life and
             see the irony and learn from it. Sarty could be the phoenix that rises
             from the ashes of his father's fires.
             Perhaps the most distinct illustration of irony can be seen in how the
             Snopes family always seems to end up at the same place after each of their
             circumstances. Interestingly, it is as if the family is involved in a
             viscous circle of defeat despite their determined efforts to escape it.
             This cycle forces the family to practically start over in a new town
             regularly. Early in the story, we read that they family is tossed out of
             one town and that Abner "did not know where they were going. None of them
             ever did or ever asked, because it was always somewhere, always a house of
             sorts waiting for them a day or two days or even three days away" (476).
             It is ironic that Sarty decides that he wants to know where he was going at
             some point in his life. He realizes that if he is to achieve this goal, he
             must act on his own beliefs and act in accordingly.
             The family's difficulties allow Sarty to understand several important
             facts about life. One fact is that in order for him to have the chance to
             succeed as a person, he must break away from his family and escape its
             cycle of destruction. Furthermore, he also knows that the sooner he can
             make this break, the sooner he can be on his way toward a better life.
             Abner's behavior, especially his anger, negatively impacts Sarty. The fact
             that Abner does not believe that the family can escape their circumstances
             causes Sarty to experience self-doubt and inadequacy. After years of
             repeated behavior, we might expect Sarty to become just like his fathe...