Barn Burning (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: William Faulkner
- First Published: 1939
- Type of Plot: Psychological
- Time of Work: After the American Civil War
- Setting: Mississippi
- Principal Characters: Colonel Sartoris “Sarty” Snopes, Abner Snopes, Lennie Snopes, Major de Spain, Mrs. Lula de Spain
- Genres: Psychological fiction, Short fiction
- Subjects: Justice, Children, Family or family life, Hope, Jealousy, envy, or resentment, Truth, Loyalty, Arson, Courts or courtrooms
- Locales: Mississippi
The Story
As the story opens, ten-year-old Colonel Sartoris Snopes (he is named for Colonel John Sartoris, one of the central figures in William Faulkner's fiction) sits in a makeshift courtroom in a dry goods store and listens as his father is accused of burning a neighbor's barn. Young Sarty is called to the stand, but because the plaintiff is ultimately unwilling to force him to testify against his own father, the case is closed, and the father, Abner Snopes, is advised to leave that part of the country. As the family—Sarty, his parents, two sisters, an older brother, and...
[The entire page is 1601 words long]
See Also:
William Faulkner (Cyclopedia of World Authors)William Faulkner (Short Fiction)William Faulkner (Dictionary of World Biography)William Faulkner (Censorship)William Faulkner (Long Fiction)William Faulkner (Identities and Issues)William Faulkner (Mystery and Detective Fiction)Theory of Short Fiction (Topical Overview--Short Fiction)
See Also:
- - Barn Burning summary and study guide in the eNotes.
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