Noelle Watson. William Faulkner’s ‘Barn Burning’: Summary and Analysis. The story is set in the southern region of the United States of America, and takes place after the Civil War. He is a renowned artist as far as fictional literary works are concerned. This is not an example of the work written by professional essay writers. Barn Burning: Character Analysis. 75-82. Primarily a story about the relationship between father and son, the story presents itself through the use of symbolism. In Barn Burning by William Faulkner we have the theme of loyalty, conflict, power, control, authority, justice and renewal. Sarty starts off as a boy who is very shut in and thinks about everything else but himself. Abner Snopes, presents a huge obstacle to his son’s development into a responsible adult. The story deals with class conflicts, the influence of fathers, and vengeance as viewed through the third-person perspective of a young, impressionable child. "Barn Burning" is a short story by the American author William Faulkner which first appeared in Harper's in June 1939 (pp. Barn Burning is a very complicated short story that has a tremendous about of depth and hidden meanings. In the early part of the story, Abner is described as a … In William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning,” the characters face deep emotional issues (Faulkner, pp.6). 86-96) and has since been widely anthologized. “Barn Burning.” Reference Guide to Short Fiction. The Justice asks the other man (the enemy), Mr. Harris, for his proof.Mr. Barn Burning Summary “ Barn Burning” is a 1939 short story by William Faulkner about a vengeful, abusive father and his son. An exciting sports match that is competitive to the very end. Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Barn Burning — Meaning of William Faulkner’s fire act in Barn Burning This essay has been submitted by a student. Flora, Joseph. “‘Barn Burning’: A Definition of Evil,” in Faulkner: The Unappeased Imagination: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Glenn O. Carey, New York: Whiston Publishing Company, 1980, pp. Barn Burning: The Symbolism Of Fire William Faulkner's short story, "Barn Burning," discusses the problems of the sharecropper, in the late nineteenth century South. Time after time emotions of despair surface from both the protagonist and the antagonist involved in the story. Taken from his Selected Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story it becomes clear to the reader that Faulkner is exploring the theme of loyalty and conflict. "Barn Burning" is a sad story because it very clearly shows the classical struggle between the "privileged" and the "underprivileged" classes. This story outlines two distinct protagonists and two distinct antagonists. Barn Burning is one of literary works that were written after the 1880s and the artist, William Faulkner, focus on the socioeconomic status of the American community during that time. After every action his father does and after all the defending of his father Sarty must do, makes him slowly realize who his dads truly is. First published in the Harper's Magazine in 1939, William Faulkner's short story, Barn Burning, revolves around a ten-year-old boy, Sarty. The most vital symbol in the story is fire. The first two are Colonel Sartoris… Ed. Harris says that Abner ’s opponent’s hog got into his corn several times: first he warned him, then gave him wire to fix his pen, then told him to pay him a dollar to get his hog back.