Exploring William Faulkner's "Barn Burning"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how in William Faulkner's "Barn Burning," everything occurs in such a way as to focus attention upon the father as the embodiment of the bitter working-man who cannot rise in the world. The writer summarizes the plot and explains how the use of the young boy's point of view, as the narrator, gives meaning and symbolic significance to the father. Further, by only sketchily portraying all the other characters, Faulkner gives the father an overpowering presence as the main figure upon whom the story devolves.

From the Paper:

"As one can see, meaning is created in the story through a variety of methods such as point of view, characterization, and plot development. Of these, the plot development is the most perfunctory as we are almost immediately confronted with the dark spirit of Abner Snopes so there is no suspense in terms of figuring out what he is all about as a human being. Indeed, the fact that the story begins just after Abner has managed to escape punishment for his burning of the Harris farm is surely intended to underscore the implacable, pervasive nature of Abner's dark predilections, predilections which surface again and again throughout the tale."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Ford, Marilyn C. "Narrative Legerdemain: Evoking Sarty's future in 'Barn Burning." Mississippi Quarterly 51.3 (1998): 527. 27 Nov. 2008 http://www.questia.com/read/5001408870?title=Narrative%20Legerdemain%3a%20Evoking%20Sarty's%20Future%20in%20%22Barn%20Burning%22
• Loges, Max. "Faulkner's Barn Burning." The Explicator 57.1 (1998): 44-45.
• Ting, Elle. "Barn Burning by William Faulkner." Short Story. English 1127. Department of English. Vancouver Community College. 27 November 2008.

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