Rite of Passage

All people have an experience of Ў°Rite of PassageЎ± because it is necessary to be an adult. What is Rite of Passage? It means a ritual or ceremony signifying an event in a person's life indicative of a transition from one stage to another, as from adolescence to adulthood. In the story Ў°Barn BurningЎ± by William Faulkner, Sarty, who was the son of barn burner- Abner Snopes, he experienced his Rite of Passage at the end of the story. Although his decision leads to his fatherЎЇs death, it helps him to independent from his father. I think he made the correct decision not only for himself, but also for his family and society.

First, his decision is for himself- Sarty. His father, Abner Snopes, always affects him in terrible ways. Not only his father forces him to listen to his own rules, but also he makes him to lie to people and society to protect him. At the beginning of the story, it starts in the courtroom because his father is accused of burning a neighborЎЇs barn. Sarty is called to the stand, but because the plaintiff is finally unwilling to force him to testify against his own father, the case is closed, and the father, Abner Snopes, is advised to leave that town. Back in the courtroom, his father warns his son, Ў°You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ainЎЇt going to have any blood to stick to you.Ў± He lies to save his father from the society, even though Sarty knows his father is wrong. Not only his father canЎЇt fit into the society, but also he made his son canЎЇt fit into the society just like his father. Therefore, when Abner plans to burn another barn in the new town, Sarty is faced with a decision that will shape the rest of his life. By his last decision, although it leads his fatherЎЇs death, it helps him to fit into the society, and finally he turns to the truth and justice than his fatherЎЇs bad blood.

Second, his decision is for his family. After Abner burned neighborЎЇs Barn, Sarty and his family- his parents, two sisters, an older brother, and an aunt- had to move out from the town. The narration describes that Ў°sitting on or among the sorry residue of the dozen and more moving which even boy could remember.Ў± His family always had been turned around AbnerЎЇs finger. I donЎЇt think that was the first time that Sarty and his family exercised by AbnerЎЇs power. They couldnЎЇt live common life like other families, and always poor and uncomfortable because of AbnerЎЇs outlaw-ness. Therefore, although his family would be upset when they first hear AbnerЎЇs death, after time passes, they would have better life than before when Abner was alive.

Finally, his decision is for society. People have to follow some rules to live all together. That is reason why people made the rules, and that is the order of society. However, some people break the rules and it affects rest of the people in bad ways. When someone breaks the rules, it shakes other peopleЎЇs mind and it could give people anxiety about their safety.