Barn Burning
Summary
"Barn Burning" is a story about the Snopes family. When the story begins, Abner Snopes is being judged for burning down a barn belonging to another man. The man penned up Abner's pig because it had been found on the man's land more than once and the man warned Abner that he would pen the pig if Abner would not. After the trial was dismissed and Abner found not guilty on lack of evidence, the family was ordered to leave the town. They moved to another farm where they were to be indentured slaves to a Mr. de Spain. Abner visits de Spain's house and leaves a large mark on de Spain's white rug. Mr. de Spain orders Abner to clean the rug which he does not successfully do and is then ordered to pay for it. After a judge finds Abner guilty of ruining the rug and orders him to pay for it, Abner goes to de Spain's house to burn his barn. His son, Colonel Sartoris, escapes from his house and warns de Spain about the burning. Abner and the older son are shot at (it is unclear if they are killed but it is in my suspicions that they are) and Colonel runs to the top of a hill alone to start a new day.
Interpretation
As much as the story seems to be about the father, I think that it is more about the son, Colonel. When the story begins, the first descriptions are about the boy and what he is witnessing. Abner is depicted as a dark and rather seedy fellow. He is wearing a black overcoat and a black hat. One of Abner's legs is wounded by a Confederate musket ball when he was trying to steel a horse. I think that the story is about a father and son relationship or about the history of the family and how it affects the younger generation. the older son seems to be just like the father; he even helps the father burn the barn at the end of the story. The younger son shows signs of becoming his father also with the comments he makes like "Enemy! Enemy!" and "He won't git no twenty bushels!" but the boy also shows concern for his fathers ways. The boy thinks to himself that maybe his father's punishment this time will make him change his ways; that maybe this will be the last time. I think that the story is about the release of the boy from the history of his family and when at the end of the story his father and brother are missing, the boy is free to begin again. I thought that the story was about a separation of generations and a separation of classes.
"Barn Burning" is a story about the Snopes family. When the story begins, Abner Snopes is being judged for burning down a barn belonging to another man. The man penned up Abner's pig because it had been found on the man's land more than once and the man warned Abner that he would pen the pig if Abner would not. After the trial was dismissed and Abner found not guilty on lack of evidence, the family was ordered to leave the town. They moved to another farm where they were to be indentured slaves to a Mr. de Spain. Abner visits de Spain's house and leaves a large mark on de Spain's white rug. Mr. de Spain orders Abner to clean the rug which he does not successfully do and is then ordered to pay for it. After a judge finds Abner guilty of ruining the rug and orders him to pay for it, Abner goes to de Spain's house to burn his barn. His son, Colonel Sartoris, escapes from his house and warns de Spain about the burning. Abner and the older son are shot at (it is unclear if they are killed but it is in my suspicions that they are) and Colonel runs to the top of a hill alone to start a new day.
Interpretation
As much as the story seems to be about the father, I think that it is more about the son, Colonel. When the story begins, the first descriptions are about the boy and what he is witnessing. Abner is depicted as a dark and rather seedy fellow. He is wearing a black overcoat and a black hat. One of Abner's legs is wounded by a Confederate musket ball when he was trying to steel a horse. I think that the story is about a father and son relationship or about the history of the family and how it affects the younger generation. the older son seems to be just like the father; he even helps the father burn the barn at the end of the story. The younger son shows signs of becoming his father also with the comments he makes like "Enemy! Enemy!" and "He won't git no twenty bushels!" but the boy also shows concern for his fathers ways. The boy thinks to himself that maybe his father's punishment this time will make him change his ways; that maybe this will be the last time. I think that the story is about the release of the boy from the history of his family and when at the end of the story his father and brother are missing, the boy is free to begin again. I thought that the story was about a separation of generations and a separation of classes.
powered by performancing firefox
posted by Adam Bruns at
8:07 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home