Family Vs. Morality

Young Sarty Snopes, the main character in William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning,” exemplifies qualities that show he is both like and unlike his mother and father. Sarty’s adolescent mind often recognizes that what his father is doing and mother is forced to witness is wrong, but another side of him realizes that family is important and that it would be both dangerous and difficult to turn his back on his own flesh and blood. He is a direct product of his parents and like them in many ways, but certain actions, thoughts, and ideas set him apart from his parents, making him somewhat of a rebel.

Sarty loves, respects, and takes after his father and this is evident in the story. He is considerate of his father’s wishes and he knows what boundaries not to cross. Because Sarty’s father is infamous for burning his past employers’ barns, showing respect for Ab and keeping his mouth shut is difficult for him. Yet, he manages to keep silent and tries to live up to what his entire family expects of him, which includes following, listening, and obeying them, with no questions asked. In one instance, Sarty is inside a courtroom watching a trial, his father the accused, dealing with the barn burning of a neighbor, Mr. Harris. Although Sarty knows his father burnt down the barn, he feels that anyone who goes against his family is wrong and he sits in the courtroom subconsciously repeating the words, “Enemy, Enemy”, towards the Justice of the Peace, inside his perplexed head, full of many contrasting emotions and opinions (483). He knows that his father is not only wrong, but also a liar and yet he is still unable to turn his back on him. While leaving the courtroom, Sarty demonstrates his unconditional love for his father. He lashes out at another boy, both bigger and older than himself when the young man hisses, “Barn burner” as the family is walking by (484). Sarty knows this is the truth, but the uniqueness of his character forces him to fight the young man while, “feeling no blow, feeling no shock while his head struck the earth, scrabbling up and leaping again, feeling no blow this time either and tasting no blood..” (484). Sarty fights in his father’s defense, but his loyalty evokes an internal conflict for Sarty, in dealing with what he truly believes.

Sarty is like his father in that he will not take anything from anyone, but Ab himself. As with Ab Snopes, Sarty is well aware of his social standings and he refuses to feel inferior to those of higher “ranks” in society. After Major De Spain charges Ab Snopes for twenty bushels of corn for ruining his expensive rug, Sarty cries out, “If he wanted hit done differently why didn’t he wait and tell you how? He won’t get no twenty bushels. He won’t get none!” (490). In this instance, Sarty refuses to recognize authority and this one important trait is what makes their blood bond so much more apparent.

Sarty is like his mother in that they both seem to have a shared sense of right and wrong. Unlike Ab, these two know that barn burning is not the ultimate solution to every problem that arises in their lives. His mother is quite different from his father in being that her moral standards are higher and that she can differentiate right from wrong, unlike her husband Ab Snopes. Right before Ab is getting ready to burn the barn of Major De Spain, his wife fights with him and pleads for him not to do so: “Abner! No! No! Oh God. Oh. God. Abner,” (492). She does not want Ab to continue the cycle of burning and moving, and this one significant trait is what makes her and young Sarty similar. Sarty and his mother both know how to respect authority and they also know what lines not to cross.

Although the feelings Sarty shares with his mother are similar, the actions taken is what eventually sets the two apart. While Sarty and his mother both share the same ideas about the way Ab Snopes defies authority and ruins other’s property they still seem to display their emotions in different ways. While she obeys, Sarty finally