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Barn Burning Mind Map

Barn Burning is a drama-based short story by William Faulkner. Its short tale "Barn Burning" is about a furious, abusive father and his son, published in 1939. The story deals with class conflicts, the influence of fathers, and vengeance as viewed through third-person perspective of a young, impressionable child. It precedes The Hamlet, The Town, and The Mansion, the three novels that make up Faulkner's Snopes trilogy. A hungry boy named Sarty craves the stew and bread in the store. He is afraid. His father, Abner Snopes, is in court. Colonel Satoris "Sarty" Snopes, ten years old, has an aggressive, drunken father who beats him up and burns down his employers' barns. They pay a visit to Major de Spain, a wealthy nobleman. Abner is back in court, this time with Mr. de Spain, who is accusing him of stealing twenty maize bushels. Sarty is a staunch supporter of his father. He, on the other hand, lets loose and rushes to give the alert, but it's too late; the barn is already on fire. Three times he heard gunshots. Sarty was on a hill at midnight, mourning the death of his father. However, he notices that the source of his worry has vanished. He sleeps well and feels better when he wakes up. Sarty ventures into the woods.

Edited at 2022-08-23 08:38:32

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Barn Burning Mind Map

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Outline

Barn Burning

Overview

Set in the South 30 years after the Civil War, "Barn Burning" follows the harrowing story of Sarty Snopes, a young boy from an extremely poor farming family. Sarty must choose between loyalty to his blood ties—especially his violent, terrifying father, Abner—and standing up for his own values and hopes for a better future.

1.Abner Snopes goes on trial when he is accused of barn burning.

2.The Snopes family is run out of town and must start life anew.

3 Abner ruins the rug of their new landlord, Major de Spain.

4 Abner sues de Spain for charging him 20 bushels of corn to replace the rug.

5 Abner, feeling justice has not been done, burns down de Spain's barn.

6 Sarty runs to warn de Spain and then strikes off on his own, leaving his family for good.

Main Characters

Sarty

Loyal but conflicted 10-year-old boy

Abner

Sarty's bitter, violent father

Major de Spain

Rich, haughty landowner

Mr. Harris

Compassionate landowner seeking justice

The Aunt

Opinionated, strong relative; helps on the farm

Numbering

Diplomas or degrees earned by Faulkner

2:14

Time on the broken clock that was Lennie's dowry

12+

Times the Snopes family has moved

1980

Year a short-film adaptation starring Tommy Lee Jones as Abner was released

Themes

Justice

Abner resents the iniustices he feels life has brought on him and takes matters into his own hands—but faces consequences when others seek justice.

Loyalty

Sarty is torn between loyalty to his family and loyalty to his own ethics and desires.

Choices

Characters' actions correspond to their own moral code—Abner acts out of desire for revenge, while Sarty chooses what he thinks is right.

Symbols

Rug

Symbolizes Abner's anger toward more prosperous, "privileged" people

Fire

Represents the the destruction and sustenance of life

Abner's Foot Injury

Stands for the permanent damage done to his soul

Author

WILLIAM FAULKNER 1897-1962

An American author and Nobel Prize winner,Faulkner wrote poetry, short stories, screenplays, and novels, often about life in the South. Stories such as "Barn Burning" tackled dark topics that many other writers avoided: prejudice, poverty, violence, and the struggle between the social classes.