The Idea Of Family Loyalty In Barn Burning
Abstract
Barn burning is an interesting story of a vengeful man Sartoris’ father was a daring man in his life. He went to a war without motive. His vengefulness caused a lot of bitterness, he burnt Harris’ barn after the hog conflict. The judge banished him. He takes his family to a new land. He gets employed as a gardener. A conflict emerges after the bosses ‘carpet is improperly cleaned. He decides to revenge on his boss.
He plans to carry out his typical atrocity (Faulkner,19). Unfortunately he dies in the process. Sartori had been very close to his father. Actually most of the times he accompanied him to appear in the court room to answer conflict charges. Sartoris has been a silent character in most sections of the story.
Sartoris in Heaven
Many years have passed the war has come to an end Sartoris father died long time ago. Both her sisters are married. He is walking on a neatly patched divine carpet (Faulkner,23). It reminds him of a carpet that led to the death of his own father. He sees his father stressed up. He sympathises with the old man. His father had tried all he could to provide for his family. Despite all the challenges their family was going through. He never gave up. Sartoris admires his father’s determination. He wonders what his father had been thinking about. We see Sartoris in the minds of his father…, all these children’ we can’t live in a wagon all our lives. The hog is a wild animal I could not have controlled it its entire lifespan.
Everything has an end. Sartori compares the afterlife with the life on earth. Heaven is full of joy without suffering. It is not possible to frown in heaven. He wonders why he does not feel bitterness whenever he remembers Mr. Harris (Faulkner,40). He wonders how life can disappoint his family this much. If life in limbo is this good, then what’s the point in being born on earth if one is destined to live in heaven?
Heaven is the only good thing that has ever happened in his life. He wonders how his father and sisters would look like in the heavenly grace. He remembers how he spent most of his youth working alongside his father for the rich farmers. He remembers the day his father told them that they were to relocate to a different place. Snopes was always resentful. His approach to life is that of using force. He examines his genuine heart and wonders why life could be that unfair. His two sons and two daughters were doing well health wise, his wife was supporting too. He is happy to have had a family that is closely knit.
He reminds his younger son the importance of family loyalty. Sartoris wonders why his father was bitter with the rich landowners. He gets a revelation about Snopes’ treatment on earth. He was charged in a barn. It is ironical that Abner Snopes is denied reputable justice precedence. Sartoris is happy that he has found joy in heaven. He only misses the moments he shared with his father. He had taught him on how to stand up for their family.
A disturbing thought engulfs his free mind. He asks himself questions. Was he really the cause of his father’s death? What would have happened if he had not alerted the landowner? Was his action justified? He saved the landowner’s barn at the expense of his father’s life. However his conscience is clean. How would he be feeling if he had consistently told lies to save his father? According to his mind, in as much as he loved his father, burning other people’s barn was not a solution to resolving conflict. Being poor dos not warrant a person to be hateful to those who are rich. Burning a barn is a sign of irresponsibility. A barn is a source of livelihood.
Works Cited
- Faulkner. Barn Burning. Berkshire: Perfection Learning, 1979.
