Barn Burning by William Faulkner

             In William Faulkner's short story "Barn Burning," race relations play an influential role in the southern United States thirty years after the end of the Civil War. It is essential to note the difference between the author's point-of-view from that of his characters, whose dialogues casually utilize such racial slurs as "nigger." Many instances in the story shed light on the distinction between the author's sentiments and that of his characters. In analyzing this, many circumstances need to be taken into account such as the time period in which the story takes place, the time period in which the story was written, the life and reality of the author, as well as the characters portrayed in the work.
             Sartoris Snopes, the story's protagonist, is a young boy affected by his poor, ill-mannered family at the turn of the last century. The time period is given away with the passage "His father turned, and he followed the stiff black coat, the wiry figure walking a little stiffly from where a Confederate provost's man's musket ball had taken him in the heel on a stolen horse thirty years ago..." (Faulkner). The Civil War ended in 1865 marking the end of the existence of Confederates, so the year must be about 1895. Knowing this, one recalls the history of the South following the war. Most Southerners strongly opposed the emancipation of the slaves, which resulted from the war. There was an overwhelming sense of prejudice, and belief in the inferiority of Blacks as comprising an inferior race. Faulkner, born in 1897, was a product of parents who felt the direct impact of the post-war South. Many Southerners passed on their racist views, which Faulkner subtly illustrates when Sartoris' father asks him to fetch the oil, which he intends to use as an incendiary to burn the de Spain's property. Sartoris references the last time his father burned down a barn: " 'Ain't you going to even send a nigger?' he cried. 'At least you sent a nigger before...

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Barn Burning by William Faulkner. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 05:06, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/3802.html