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  • Essay / Analysis of Sarty's Change Throughout Barn Burning by William Faulkner

    Faulkner's “Barn Burning” is a character-driven story because what moves it forward is Sarty's internal growth as a character. We see him start as a young child with strong trust in his beloved father and end as a young boy beginning to think for himself, develop a sense of independence, and become a stronger character. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Sarty's father is a difficult character to like. He is rude, violent, and argumentative, traits revealed in his behavior throughout the story. He rudely and intentionally wipes his dirty shoes on Spain's carpet, argues over the fees he must pay for the damage he has caused, then attempts to burn Spain's barn in a fit of pique. Throughout this sequence of events, Sarty is faced with a difficult choice: remain loyal to his father and stand up for the man or speak out. At first, the boy remains silent. He insists in court that his father is innocent of burning Mr. Harris's barn (an earlier offense which we did not witness but which we are nevertheless led to believe Mr. Snopes is guilty of). at the end of the story), although he was bullied by his peers. about the case and the growing evidence that his father is a criminal. At the beginning of the story, he spoke like a child observing and looking at the things around him. Sarty's lack of language means for his venerable "the terrible handicap of being young". He said that an enemy of his fathers was “our enemy” and spoke with the loyalty of a lamb, never knowing that he could stray from the flock. Towards the middle of the story, we can see the tone of his speech change. Sarty shows change when he asks his father if he “wants to ride horses now?” when they leave Spain's house. He seems to have the courage to ask his father for certain things, without fearing the consequences. At the end of the story, the language used by Sarty becomes clearer and more independent. Sarty feels guilty for having betrayed his father; in the midst of his grief, the young boy refines their relationship by replacing the endearing cry of “Pap, Pap!” with the formal cry of “Father, Father!” ". He shows his evolution through these examples of his speech. In "Barn Burning" by William Faulkner, Sarty's character experiences great growth throughout the story. He begins as a child who is afraid of his father – both disappointing him and arousing his anger and violence. He is willing to lie to a judge to protect his father and remain loyal to his family. As the story progresses, and particularly when Sarty sees his father deliberately and maliciously dirtying the de Spain's white carpet, he realizes that his father will never change and that if he is not careful, he will one day become her father. It is at this moment that Sarty realizes that he must make a choice between his own integrity and his loyalty to his father. He chooses integrity – at the cost of losing his family. When he warns the de Spains that his father set the barn on fire, he irrevocably changes the course of his life. Shots are fired and his father and brother are likely killed; Now that he has betrayed his family, Sarty has no choice but to flee. The final scene of this coming-of-age story shows Sarty walking away, feeling like he will be better off and that he made the right decision. Abner is a farmer resentful of the wealthy landowners he works for. He expresses this resentment by retaliating against them in ways ranging from petty theft.