"Barn Burning"

"Barn Burning"

William Faulkner

This piece of literature started confusing me as I began reading it, but as I kept reading I got more understanding of it. The story begins with being in a store with the main characters father. The main character known as Colonial Sartoris (aka. Sarty) who was in a crowed room towards the back. His stomach read all the cans of soup and fish and kept smelling the scent of cheese.

The boy had already stereotyped the Justice as his "enemy". It was real interesting that the Justice called a "trial" even though it took place in a small store. The boy Sarty was accussed of setting a barn on fire over a dispute about a hog not being pinned in a fence. However, the trial and case was closed because there was no proof or evidence that Sarty had done this.

It was shocking to see that the Justice told Sarty and his father to leave the country and never come back. At this point in the story I began to feel sorry for Sarty and his father because they had no where else to go. It is nice to see as I was reading that the father had already found a place for them to stay before they were literally forced out of their current living place. 

Whenever the Justice asked Sarty to testify against his father, it was very troublesome for me to even think about such a small boy doing this. He probably knew right from wrong, but Sarty was faced with an obstacle. This obstacle Sarty was faced with was whether or not he should lie for his father being he had to testify. I figured that he would lie for the father, but he ended up not having to testify. 

The father had gotten into another predicament when they arrived at the new homestead. He had tracked mud all over the landlords rug. The landlord did not like this too much so he had ordered Sarty's father to clean it up. So instead of him cleaning it, he made the girls clean it up. After cleaning it up so well, Sarty did not like that it was that clean and he made the girls re-clean it. 

Very interesting story this was. At first I had the opinion that I would not like it, but after reading it I thought it was an alright piece of literature to make become a story.