A Barn Burning by William Faulkner - Book Report/Review Example

A Barn Burning by William Faulkner William Faulkner’s Barn Burning, whose setting is in the period immediately after the Civil War, depicts Sartoris’, referred in the book as Sarty, conflicts while trying to understand the motif behind his father’s actions that lead his family to more hardships in life. In this case, Sarty’s father defiles the rights of other people in order to fulfill his ambitions and desires in life while disregarding other people’s feelings. Therefore, his father’s self-fulfillment is through defiling the rights of other people in order to satisfy his ego. Conversely, Sarty seeks freedom from the life that the family lived. In this case, the road to Sarty’s independence from his father’s grip is a way of seeking individual fulfillment. Hence, Faulkner’s book typifies the American culture, as this expose will posit, while focusing on Barn Burning. To begin with, Faulkner indicates that, Sarty’s father had a “wolflike independence and even courage when advantage was at least neutral, which impressed strangers” (Faulkner 476). In this case, this is a clear depiction of the American culture of individual fulfillment. By depicting Snopes, Sarty’s father as independent and courageous, Faulkner underlines the importance of independence, which leads to individual fulfillment since he is able to achieve satisfaction although he ends hurting his family. In this regard, it is only through being independent and courageous that an individual acquires self-fulfillment. In the American society, being independent and having courage typifies an individual who has attained self-fulfillment. Conflicts and violence surround Sarty’s life, which leads to an overwhelming fear, grief, and despair. In effect, Sarty seeks to attain peace in order to be free from these turbulent emotions (Faulkner). Therefore, this typifies the American culture of seeking individual fulfillment from turbulent emotions such as grief, fear, and despair, which engulf an individual. Throughout the story, it is evident that Sarty struggles with despair, grief, and fear due to his family’s demands on one side. On the other hand, he develops an opinion towards morality, which is contrary to the family’s views and demands. In line with this, Faulkner's book is significant in typifying the American culture of individual fulfillment whereby an individual seeks to map their own path different from that of the family depending on their ideas of right and wrong. Peace, joy, and dignity are the most important appealing aspects of a different life for Sarty, which is not available in the Snopes’ household. In effect, this is significant since it exemplifies the American culture whereby individuals work towards finding dignity, joy, and peaceful coexistence with each other in their daily lives. In addition, achieving dignity, peace, and joy is crucial towards the path of individual fulfillment. For this reason, achievement of peace, joy, and dignity signifies the American dream that people all over the world seek to experience and hence come into the country as they seek individual fulfillment. Faulkner illustrates that an individual can achieve fulfillment through different ways. One of this ways, and perhaps one of the most important way that typify the American culture, is through bringing honor and intensifying family ties. Case in point, as the Snopes’ leave the courtroom following their father’s case, a boy who accused Abner of being a barnburner hits Sarty who confronted the boy, and consequently bloodying his face. In a way, the blood that dried and caked on Sarty face represents a sense of individual fulfillment that he had defended the family’s honor regardless of the cost (Faulkner 477). In a similar way, the American culture realizes that the family is the most important thing in life, and it comes under substantial cost. Hence, to defend the family against outsiders brings forth individual fulfillment. Beyond suffering and toiling, the American culture provides the existent of a peaceful future that a person may achieve through individual fulfillment. The book illustrates the existent of this peaceful world when Sarty and his father visit de Spain’s estate. In this regard, the magnificent house and grounds in the estate coupled with the pleasant environment provide Sarty with a form of comfort, albeit temporarily. Furthermore, Sarty seems to think that the charm that the house provides may even change his father’s way of life and make him stop the criminal intents (Faulkner 478). Hence, this experience proves that there is always a glimpse of a peaceful future, which an individual achieves through individual fulfillment. In most cases, and especially in the American culture, it is evident that most stories that have their settings based on the season of spring tend to be stories full of hope. In this regard, the season of spring is a great representation of rebirth and renewal, or simply put, spring is the depiction of achievement of personal fulfillment. Towards the end of the book, the reader cannot realize that it is during spring when the book depicts Sarty experiencing peace, possibly for the first time in his life, which implies that Sarty becomes aware of the spring season. In effect, this exposure to spring also marks Sarty’s freedom, which allows him to make his own choices. Throughout the story, it is evident that Sarty yearned to be free of his father’s highhandedness and make the right decisions according to his idea of morality. In a similar way, the American culture identifies freedom of making the right choices as one of the most important aspects in the life of a human being. For this reason, America is one of the most progressive nations in the world, which has made it earn the tag ‘the free world,’ which emphasizes the American culture’s attachment to freedom. Therefore, achieving freedom to make the right choices, as Sarty does is a significant approach towards individual fulfillment. Throughout the story, Sarty longs for the day that he will break free from the family and start a transformed life. In this regard, Sarty wishes to earn his freedom and live a different life whereby he will not have to do things that he does not like as forced by his father’s cold heartlessness. Sarty realizes that his father is malicious towards affluent people, which is a life that Sarty will not be able to live since he realizes that there is no any achievement at the end. In a similar way, the American culture has had a long history whereby people fight to gain their freedom from oppressive deeds. For example, the African-American civil movement in the 1950s and 1960s took to the streets to clamor for changes that made it possible for the African-American to achieve voting rights and eliminate discrimination. In this regard, the agitators knew that the only way to achieve individual fulfillment was through fighting for their freedoms, which has been part of the American culture in agitating for freedoms since the Civil War. Hence, for Sarty to gain individual fulfillment from his family’s bondage, he realizes that he has to break free from his father’s ways of life by fighting for his freedom. The American culture always guides people into choosing to do right over evil regardless of the dilemma an individual encounters in a situation. In this regard, doing right is a way of achieving individual fulfillment. In a similar way, Sarty faces a dilemma between choosing to do the right thing and cutting family ties, or pleasing the family and doing the wrong thing and failing to achieve individual fulfillment. One thing is clear that Sarty loves his family, and still cares for his father. However, Sarty knows that his father’s actions are wrong, and he had to cease to become part of his father’s actions and the entire family that condones the father’s nefarious deeds. In effect, Sarty had to choose the path to individual fulfillment, which was through walking away from his family and never looking back. In a similar way, the American culture poses such dilemmas when an individual has to make choices regarding doing right, but risking to lose something they treasure, and doing wrong at the risk of failing to achieve individual fulfillment. However, Americans will choose to do what is right while risk losing many things in their lives instead of doing wrong and failing to achieve individual fulfillment. In conclusion, achievement of individual fulfillment is important for every individual. In the American culture, this is one of the most important themes. Faulkner’s story encapsulates this theme as Sarty seeks to achieve individual fulfillment all through the story. Throughout the story, Sarty is fighting between doing the right thing at the risk of losing his family, and doing the right thing in order to achieve individual fulfillment, but risk losing the family by failing to live as his father dictated. However, Sarty chose the right approach and achieved individual fulfillment by doing the right thing, which summarizes the American culture of choosing right over wrong. Work Cited Faulkner, William. “Barn Burning.” The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. Ed. Ronald Verlin Cassill. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1981. 473-88. Print. Read More