William Faulkner's "Barn Burning"

William Faulkner. Why does this name sound so familiar? I remember saying to myself, "I have definitely heard this name before," and I was right. When I read Faulkner's short biography in order to figure out who this man was, I was excited to learn that he had won the Nobel Prize for literature. Maybe this is why I've heard of him. He's famous!  This must mean his work is amazing, am I right? After reading the first two or three pages of the story, my enthusiasm turned into annoyance. I discovered I was very, very, very wrong. I learned an interesting lesson that day, and I told myself, "Kim, just because you've heard this man's name, and this man just happened to win some prestigious award for literature, doesn't mean he's as good as you think he is." Don't get me wrong, he is actually very good, but I've discovered I hate his style of writing and the way he phrases everything. This all may seem a bit harsh, but think of it this way, it reflects my opinion about his short story, "Barn Burning".

The story is mainly centered around a boy, Colonel Sartoris Snopes (Sarty) and his father, Abner Snopes. It starts off in a store, which is being used as some sort of courtroom, where Abner Snopes is being accused of burning Mr. Harris's barn (Mr. Harris is a farmer). The case is dismissed due to lack of evidence so he gets away with impunity, but the judge believes Abner is guilty of the crime and highly suggests that he leave the area. Abner and his family then pack their belongings and head towards another plantation where they can stay. After spending a night camped out, the Snopes arrive on the de Spain plantation, where another conflict erupts. Abner steps in horse "droppings" on his way to the de Spain house and steps on the expensive rug in when he enters their house. He had no right in doing so due to the fact that he is a mere sharecropper; his job was far from being a sinecure, and it would be difficult for him to pay back the damages done. In the end, de Spain demands 20 bushels of corn to pay for the damages, but when brought to court, the judge demands 10 from Abner Snopes. That night, Abner decides to go and burn down the de Spain's barn himself. Sarty decides to go against his father and inform de Spain about the noisome crime his father is committing. At the end, he runs away from it all. 

I cannot say that I completely hate how Faulkner writes, because he does write the more action-filled parts in an exciting way. It is the small things I hate. For example, was it really necessary to write a whole paragraph (which only contained a little over two sentences) about cheese and the store? I realize this gives the reader a sense of timelessness and waiting on the part of young Sarty, but was this necessary? It is great that Faulkner decides to describe everything, but it is almost too much at times.

Anyway, overall I thought the story was actually interesting. I may hate how Faulkner writes, but I'll admit that the plot was good. A few questions popped up after reading "Barn Burning", and I couldn't answer them. 1. Why does Abner follow the path of an arsonist, and on what grounds does he think he can commit such terrible acts? 2. Why does Sarty feel a strong connection to his father at first (or is this actually fear?), but then decide to "rebel" against him and inform de Spain of his actions? 3. Although Abner may be the head of the family, why can't anyone do anything to stop him? 4. What will happen to Sarty after running away? 5. It was implied that Abner had been killed, due to gunshots Sarty heard while running away. What will happen to the Sarty's mother, grandmother, and two sisters? Would Sarty come back? 6. Would the Snopes become a bereft family, or would they believe that their life will actually take a turn for the better now that a major source of their problems is gone?

All in all, I feel as if I cannot speak much more about this story. "Barn Burning" is written by a Nobel Prize winner, and I feel as if I expected too much from the story. I expected, well, I don't really know what I was expecting. Maybe a story that wasn't so wordy and more exciting? Though the image of a man burning down a barn is pretty exciting. Besides vengeance, maybe Abner wanted to burn down the barn for the thrill of it. Oh no, am I beginning to take on the mind of an arsonist? [Just kidding].