Barn Burning By William Faulkner: Literary Analysis

William Faulkner was a renowned American writer and Nobel Prize holder, hailing from the twentieth-century era of literature. Faulkner’s style of writing was one that favored the utilization of countless modernist devices. This break from a traditional style of writing allowed Faulkner to implement his most preferred technique, the stream of consciousness narration. This specific type of narration is a continuous flow of thoughts from the perspective of the characters in the story. A stream of consciousness is employed throughout “Barn Burning,” and the reader certainly takes notice of this narration type. Faulkner’s interesting modernist devices allow the reader to achieve a great understanding of Sartoris. Also, the techniques of Faulkner

In the first paragraph, of “Barn Burning,” the reader receives the first instance of an oppressive force of loyalty by Sartoris’s father. The opening paragraph also allows the reader to notice that Sarty, a ten-year child, is constantly plagued by hunger, grief, and despair. Although Sarty may seem like an innocent, impoverished child, he harnesses a great intellect that allows him to determine what is morally accepted in society. This natural intellect that Sarty encompasses is also displayed in the opening paragraph when describing the general store. One phrase that grabs the reader’s attention is when Sarty says, “the old fierce pull of blood” (Faulkner 162). This sentence makes the reader put a focus on the topic of loyalty, as Sarty can recognize the constant pull of allegiance that his father enforces. Sartoris must always remain on his father’s side, even if his father has committed an unethical crime. For example, Abner Snopes committed a crime of arson, by burning Mr. Harris’s barn down. Loyalty is enforced on Sartoris because Abner expects him to lie in the court, so he is not charged with a crime. Sartoris experiences a feeling of grief, which prompts him to stay silent when the Justice asks him, to tell the truth. This feeling of sorrow is a reoccurring emotion for Sartoris,