Essay on Life And Death Struggles
Life And Death Struggles Term Papers
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The story in Barn Burning starts out in a store, where Abner is on trial. He is on trial for burning Mr. Harris barn; however, there is not enough proof to convict him. Although everyone present knows Abner burnt the barn, Abner s ten-year-old son is present as well. He crouches on his nail keg at the back of the crowded room (Faulkner 590). The dispute between Mr. Harris and Abner is over Abner s hog, which is frequently in Mr. Harris s corn. Mr. Harris warns Abner about his hog and even gives him wire to patch up his pen. Abner does not patch up his pen and the hog gets out again. Mr. Harris keeps the hog and tells Abner that he has to pay a dollar pound fee for the return of his hog. Abner sends a nigger with the dollar and a message. The message was, Wood and hay kin burn (Faulkner 590). This is how Mr. Harris knows that Abner is responsible for the burning of his barn. However, the nigger who conveys the message to Mr. Harris is missing. So, therefore, there is no proof against Abner. The case is closed and Abner is told to leave town. The boy (Abner s younger son) views the Justice of the Peace as the enemy. He knows his father s guilty, but he is loyal to his father, our enemy he thought in that despair; ourn! mine and hisn both! He's my father!"(Faulkner 590). Even when Mr. Harris says that he should be questioned about the burning of his barn, he knows that his father expects him to lie and he will lie. The reason apart from loyalty, that he will be, in fear. He fears his father.
Once they leave the courtroom, his entire family is in their wagon, ready to leave. His family consists of two sisters, an aunt, an older brother and his mother. They are about to move to another place. They have all their belongings packed in the wagon. As they leave town the boy hopes that his father is now satisfied and that he doesn t burn another barn. It seems that they never live in one place for long periods of time and always move. They did not know where they were going. None of them ever did or ever asked, because it was always somewhere,.. (Faulkner 592).
The issues that the boy most struggles with are his honesty and loyalty. The boy is torn between loyalty to his father and wanting to tell the truth. When his father questions him as to whether he would have told the truth of he was questioned about Mr. Harris s barn, he says yes. This shows us that he is a good kid. In my opinion, I think that Sarty had to grow up fast because, for a ten-year-old kid, he has a lot of good insight despite the influence of his father.
When Sarty and his family reach their new home, his father and him go to see the new people that he s going to work for. When Sarty sees the house he is fascinated and impressed by it. He has never seen a house so large. When he sees the house Sarty also forgets his father and also forgets the terror and despair. The house reminds Sarty of a courthouse and then fills him with peace and joy. He feels that his father couldn t hurt these people and that they are safe from him. People whose lives are a part of their peace and dignity are beyond his touch, he no more to them than a buzzing wasp: capable of stinging for a little moment but that s all; the spell of this peace and dignity rendering even the barns and stable and cribs which belong to it impervious to the puny flames he might contrive ?(Faulkner 594). As they walk to the house, his father steps in a pile of fresh horse droppings, which could have been avoided by a simple change of stride. This shows us just what kind person that Abner is. He is a person who is disrespectful, jealous, proud, arrogant, pompous and cruel. Abner is jealous of rich folk. He is envious of the people who own the house and already dislikes them ravening and jealous rage (Faulkner 594). As Abner lifts his hand to knock on the door, it is opened promptly. Sarty knows that they were being watched all the time. The old man that opens the door tells Abner to wipe his feet and also that the mayor was not home. He also blocks the door with his body and it is evident that Abner is not welcome in the house. Abner pushes his way into the house and steps on a pale rug deliberately. He also deliberately soils the rug by wiping his foot on the rug. Two hours later, Jahor de Spain brings the rug to Abners house so that it can be cleaned. Again, Abner cleans the rug but deliberately ruins it. That night Abner and Sarty return the rug to Jahor de Spain when they are asleep. The next day mayor de Spain tells him that because he ruined the rug going to charge him twenty bushels of corn. Abner is very angry and Sarty is worried because he knows that his father will probably burn de Spain s barn, and so he tries to measure his father that they won t give de Spain twenty bushels of corn. Abner cuts him off.
On Saturday, the older brother, the father and Sarty go to the weathered paintless store. Abner is suing de Spain because he feels that he should not pay anything for the rug. He feels that since de Spain brought the rug to him, no matter what condition it is in when he returned it, he shouldn t have to pay for it, even though he ruined it. The judge feels that Abner is responsible so, he is told to pay ten bushels of corn.
They spend the day in town and return home that evening. The father gets his five-gallon kerosene can and the tries to stop him. He is going burn de Spain s barn. He sends Sarty out get a can of oil from barn. Sarty out of habit gets the oil but is devastated. He thinks, I could run on the on and never look back, never need to see his face again. Only I can t, I can t.. (Faulkner 600). Abner tells the mother to hold Sarty because he knows that Sarty will try and stop him from burning the barn. She does hold him, but he manages to escape. Once he escapes, he runs to de Spain s house and warns him about the barn. Sarty runs and does not stop. In the distance he hears a shot and then two more shots. He no longer feels fear and terror, but grief and despair. We know that Abner is dead because Sarty says, He was brave! (Faulkner (600). Sarty leaves home for good and he does not look back.
I think that Sarty resolves his struggles in a satisfying and realistic way. The reason I say this because he knows that what his father does is wrong and he warns de Spain. This resolves the issue of honesty. As far as loyalty goes, Sarty decides to be loyal to himself. He is tired of the life he lives . The constant moving and starting all over, only for the same thing to happen again. Sarty needs stability. Even though his...
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