Analysis of Sarty’s Escape from His Family’s Fate in Barn Burning by William Faulkner

According to William Faulkner, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” mimics this quote by providing a glimpse into the events of a blood line that is so seemingly doomed by its history that its present and future generations are disfigured by their pasts. However, one member of this family, Sarty Snopes, increasingly distances himself from his controlling father, Abner, throughout the short story. Despite his strong love for his father, Sarty realizes that if his father cannot change, then Sarty must escape his inherited past both figuratively and literally. Although the other Snopeses in “Barn Burning” are condemned to their futures as a result of their pasts, Sarty is the one capable of breaking free from his family’s fate and electing his own path.

Abner Snopes’s past and present actions overwhelmingly control his family’s present and future. Consequently, the Snopeses have no choice but to fall in line or fall victim to his actions. Already it seems that Abner’s wife, daughters, and other son obey all of his demands. For example, when Abner demands his wife restrain Sarty from interfering so that Abner may proceed to burn another barn, she obligingly does so. Sarty’s brother then suggests, “Better tie [Sarty] up to the bedpost”. Evidently, Abner’s son is already becoming as ruthless, if not even more ruthless, than his father. Sarty’s brother’s comment is proof that, as a result of Abner’s strong imposition of his character and attitude onto his wife and children, his future offspring will be as ruthless as Abner. In one particular instant, the narrator mentions that Abner’s descendants would exact the same emotionless quality of overrunning a car engine as Abner exacts when whipping his mules. Apparently, there is an aura of ruthlessness that is deep-rooted in Abner’s blood.

The narrator reveals that this ruthlessness might be a result of Abner’s scarred past. His behavior and outlook on life are linked to his upbringing and his time in the war, during which he obtained several war injuries including a noticeable limp. Physically and emotionally scarred by his past, Abner becomes accustomed to living a subsistence lifestyle and he develops into a cold being incapable of showing emotion. Because Abner failed to show emotion to his children while raising them, they will also be incapable of expressing themselves emotionally.

Furthermore, they are likely to pass on Abner’s cruelty onto their children. Evidently, Abner’s blood pool is tainted with an overwhelming ruthlessness and coldness which affects his present and future generations. Despite the presence of Abner’s blood in his veins, Sarty is able to ignore Abner’s pull on him and choose his own fate. Sarty already considers disobeying his father in the courthouse where Abner is being tried for burning his neighbor’s barn. Sarty is called to testify and he briefly considers testifying against his father before the judge calls him back. Abner notices Sarty’s hesitation and attempts to reinforce his values by plainly striking him across the head. He then tells Sarty, “You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you”.

In an effort to please Abner, Sarty remains subservient to his father until they arrive at the new farm. Upon arriving, Sarty has a fleeting hope that Abner’s behavioral habits will end upon seeing the mansion that the De Spains live in. Sarty believes that the De Spains are so rich that his father could not possibly touch them. To the De Spains, the Snopeses are insignificant and Abner is aware of it. So, to prove his significance and defiance, Abner tracks horse manure onto Major De Spain’s hundred-dollar rug. Abner believes this action will force Sarty to side with him, but instead it further alienates him. Abner tries once more to regain Sarty’s attention by ruining the rug with harsh cleaning chemicals before returning it to De Spain. At this point, Sarty is unsure of his own character and beliefs. He hopes that perhaps that Abner’s last act of defiance will be enough for him to stop forever, but that is not the case.

The following Saturday, Sarty bursts into the courtroom where Abner is trying to sue DeSpain and cries to the Justice, “He ain’t done it! He ain’t burnt . . .”. Sarty’s comment is out of place, but it is evident that Sarty is still trying to protect his father in hope that he may change one day. However later that night, Abner demands that Sarty help him burn De Spain’s barn. Now that Sarty sees that his father has not and cannot change, he abandons any hope of saving him. Despite being held back by his mother, Sarty escapes and chooses to warn De Spain of Abner’s actions. He flees from De Spain, his family, and his father towards the dark woods where he hears gun shots and sees the blaze of the barn. Alone in the woods, Sarty briefly laments for his father before continuing his path in the world by himself. No longer is Sarty captive to his father’s blood; now Sarty controls his own destiny.

The theme of “Barn Burning” emphasizes the influence that the past has on the future. Essentially, one is born into his or her circumstances; it is difficult to alter one’s fate. It initially seems that one cannot escape his or her past, but Sarty defies that expectation. Confronted with the option of following his dominant father’s actions and behavior or escaping his blood traits and choosing his own path, Sarty chooses his morals over his father’s and frees himself from the grip of his past. Now Sarty, an independent man, is left alone in the world to decide what he will do, but at least he is autonomous and released from the control of his tumultuous past.