Loyalty Versus Justice in Barn Burning Essay

Loyalty to Sartys family or justice and law

Barn Burning is by the famous author William Faulkner. The story is about Abner Snopes family which is a part of the poor people in the society. Faulkner writes this story after the Civil War. A story is full of symbols and themes that bring to light the sociological changes happened in post Civil War era. One of the most important themes is the loyalty to the family or to the society and law. In the story, Faulkner expresses this theme of loyalty through Sartys character. Sarty is a ten- year old boy and can be considered as one of the main characters in the story. Sarty is the character used by Faulkner to illustrate the internal conflicts that a person can live when he wants to make a decision between a family and a society. Sarty followed his fathers way blindly, knowing that he is the role model and trustworthy person. But, after then he begin to speak when his father do something wrong. Now, he must choose between his loyalty to the family or to the society to live a better life.

Sartys parents play an important part of his confusion of loyalty. They are totally different from each other. He lives with a mother, Lennie, who is innocent and loyal. He sees how she is good, kind, and having a high level morality. For example, she says to Sarty when he gets a hit from the man, Hes hurt. I got to get some water and wash his... (438). Lennie wants to implant her values in Sartys personality. She gives him her attention and saves money for Sartys Christmas present. In the story, he also sees his mother tries to make his father get into the right way. When the father is thinking to go and burn the barn, she starts crying and reminds him that there is God. In this point Faulkner shows she is a believer. Lennie is teaching Sarty to be loyal with everyone, from what he sees her doing. On the other hand, he lives with a father, Abner, who is anger and has no emotions. Sarty says when he was in the court when his father burned the barn, He aims for me to lie, he thought, again with that frantic grief and despair. And I will have to do hit. This shows that it is not the first time his father pushed him to do things against his beliefs. Abner hits his son if he disobeys him. As it shows in the story, His father struck him with the flat of his hand on the side of the head, hard but without heat, exactly as he had struck the two mules at the store(439). Abner tells his son to be loyal to his family, or he will stay alone in life. The parents are totally different in the way of thinking, and they have two different points of view. If the mother and the father are completely different from each other, how the innocent ten- year old can choose. If Sarty chooses the right way and adopt his mothers manners and morals, his father will get angry of him and leave him alone.

At the beginning of the story, Faulkner shows that Sarty is in the side of his father. Abner convinces his son, Sarty, that Mr. Harris is their enemy. So, in the court when the Justice asked him to say the truth, he thinks Enemy ,Enemy(437). Being uneducated and unattached to the public plays an essentials role in making Sarty follow blindly his fathers commands at the beginning of the story. A change is made in Sartys behavior at the middle of the story. He becomes more courageous to tell the truth, but still confused and starts thinking which one of these two models of loyalties is right.