Social Class In William Faulkners Barn Burning - 776 Words

William Faulkner once said, â€Å"We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.† This quote is valid in William Faulkner’s short story, Barn Burning, as it demonstrates the difference in social classes and how their status affects the decisions they make. This is evident in Sarty’s response to his father’s actions, the condition in which Sarty’s family lives in and the treatment his family receives, and Sarty’s choices that evidently forced Sarty to betray someone he cares about or be true to himself. The story Barn Burning centralized around a boy name Sarty and his tenant farmer family, forcing Sarty to make a choice between his morality or the bond between him and his father. The short story Barn Burning†¦show more content†¦An example that Faulkner demonstrates that the unequal social classes affect how a person act is when De Spain sue the Snopes for ruining his expensive rug which requires him to pay 20 bushels of corn. This is evident when Abner’s wife screamed Abner! No! No! Oh, God. Oh, God. Abner! to show that barn burning is one of the family’s biggest problem. If Abner manages to burn down De Spain’s barn they would have to move again after just four days of arriving at their current place. In this instance, Abner knows that Sarty would most likely to tell De Spain that he is planning to burn his barn because of Sarty’s morality. In the story Barn Burning, Faulkner uses the Snopes to display that social classes affect how a person sometimes acts or behave to a certain extent. William Faulkner uses the literary of conflict when he decided to make Sarty choose between morality or blood bonds. This will lead to Sarty telling De Spain what is to come â€Å"Barn! Barn!† and in the end, Sarty â€Å"sat now, his back to what he had called home for four days now†(Faulkner). This affects the story because it shows the highlight turn of event in which Sarty decided to reason rather than blood ties. It is evident that the actions of the Justice of the Peace, De Spain, Abner Snopes and others that made Sarty decided to do what he did. Before this all happen, Sarty making his own decision, Sarty choosing his path, De Spain rides out with his gun,Show MoreRelatedBoth sides of the Coin in William Faulkner’s short story, Barn Burning812 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Faulkner’s short story, â€Å" Barn Burning,† the character Abner Snopes, who is Sarty’s father as well as a main character of the story, stands out the most compared to other characters because of Faulkner’s description with a sense of irony and critic. Faulkner presents multifaceted characteristics in Abner Snopes that makes the readers think beyond the view of the narrator based on logics and circumstances in Abner’s conditions. The setting of ‘‘Barn Burning’’ is the post-Civil War South, theRead MoreWilliam Cuthbert Faulkner s Life1128 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Cuthbert Faulkner is more than a famous Mississippi writer. 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