Sartys Sisters Are Described In Extremely Odd Ways By The Na

Sartys Sisters Are Described In Extremely Odd Ways By The Narrator Of

Sartys sisters are described in extremely odd ways by the narrator of “Barn Burning.” They are sometimes “hulking,” “big, bovine, in a flutter of cheap ribbons,” “blinking slowly and steadily at nothing apparently,” and possess “incorrigible idle inertia.” Since most of the story revolves around Sarty and Abner, what role do his sisters play in the story? Why do you think they have been described in this way? What does their curious behavior imply about the Snopes family? The narrator describes the stamp of Abner’s stiff foot as he enters de Spain’s house as a “clockwork finality, a sound out of all proportion to the displacement of the body it bore and which was not dwarfed either by the white door before it, as though it had attained to a sort of vicious and ravening minimum not to be dwarfed by anything” (804). Assume that the narrator provides this description of Abner’s limp through Sarty’s perspective, then describe the effect on Sarty of Abner’s war injury. What does Abner think it allows him to assume, to take, to demand for himself? How must his son reconcile his own judgments of his father’s actions with his belief in his father’s courage and sacrifice in the past? As Sarty speeds away from the burning wreck of Major de Spain’s barn, he thinks to himself that despite his father’s crimes, “‘He was in the war! He was in Colonel Sartoris’s cav’ry!’” not knowing that his father had gone to that war a private in the European sense, wearing no uniform, admitting the authority of and giving fidelity to no man or army or flag, going to war as Malbrouck himself did: for booty—it meant nothing to him if it were enemy booty or his own” (812).

Paraphrase these lines and what they mean for the reader, even if Sarty doesn’t know the truth about his father. How do they make us read the ending differently than if we hadn’t known them? Multiple times, the story takes the reader twenty years into the future and provides Sarty’s retrospective thoughts on these events. When the narrator describes Abner building a small fire, for example, the text allows “Older, the boy might have remarked this and wondered why not a big one…” then, further on in the same paragraph, we find “And older still…” (802-3). When Abner strikes Sarty for almost telling the Justice that he had burned the first barn, then lectures his son about family and blood ties trumping the laws of the country, the narrator says “Later, twenty years later, he was to tell himself, ‘If I had said they wanted only truth, justice, he would have hit me again’.” What effect do these retrospective insights give us within the story, especially this early in the narrative? What do they allow us to know, and how do they serve to develop the Sarty’s character?

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William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” explores complex themes of loyalty, identity, morality, and the influence of family legacy through its vivid characterization and narrative structure. A significant aspect of the story involves the depiction of Sarty’s sisters and their odd portrayal by the narrator, alongside the detailed internal perspectives regarding Abner Snopes’s injuries and actions. These elements collectively deepen our understanding of the Snopes family dynamics and illuminate Sarty’s moral development as he navigates conflicting loyalties.

Although the story primarily centers around Sarty and Abner, his sisters, with their unusual descriptions, serve an important symbolic and illustrative purpose. The narrator’s descriptions of the sisters as “hulking,” “big, bovine, in a flutter of cheap ribbons,” and “blinking slowly and steadily at nothing apparently,” evoke images of sluggishness, heaviness, and detachment. These qualities might metaphorically reflect the stagnant, oppressive atmosphere within the Snopes household, suggesting a family culture characterized by inertia, passivity, or a lack of refinement and morality. Their “incorrigible idle inertia” hints at a familial pattern of complacency and moral dullness, contrasting sharply with Sarty’s developing moral awareness. In this context, the sisters’ odd characterization underscores the generational and moral stagnation that the family exemplifies.

The description of Abner’s stiff foot as “clockwork finality” encapsulates the weight of his war injury, subtly shaping Sarty’s perception of his father. Assuming the description is filtered through Sarty’s perspective, it emphasizes Abner’s physical deformity as a symbol of the lasting scars of violence and war. Abner perceives his injury as an assertion of authority and a symbol of toughness; it allows him to demand respect and assert dominance. For Abner, the limp becomes a badge of his hardened, hardened warrior persona—an unyielding reminder of his past sacrifices, real or perceived. As Sarty observes his father's injury, he internalizes a conflicted view—his father’s physical limitation both signifies vulnerability and confers a sense of strength rooted in resilience and bravado.

These perceptions influence Sarty’s understanding of his father’s identity. Although the limp signifies pain and injury, Abner’s attitude about it reveals a desire to project strength, dominance, and moral superiority, which he believes justifies his actions and his stance in life. Sarty must mentally reconcile these conflicting notions: his father’s physical weakness, which might evoke sympathy, and the tough, aggressive persona through which he demands respect. This tension underscores Sarty’s moral dilemma as he grapples with loyalty to his family versus his burgeoning sense of justice and morality.

The narrative also explores how Sarty’s perceptions evolve, especially through retrospective insights provided by the story’s future perspective. When Sarty reflects on Abner building a small fire, he recognizes that his younger self might have wondered about the significance of the fire’s size, reflecting his innocent curiosity. Later, as an adult, he looks back and recognizes that Abner’s violence and moral blindness are ingrained parts of his character. The story’s technique of moving forward twenty years into the future, with Sarty’s retrospective narration, enriches the reader’s understanding of the characters’ motives and the lasting impact of these early experiences.

These retrospective insights serve several important functions. Primarily, they allow the reader to see the long-term consequences of the characters’ actions and perceptions. For example, Sarty’s acknowledgment that he might have wondered about the fire as a boy illustrates his ongoing moral questioning. Similarly, his realization that his father’s violence is rooted in ingrained family loyalty rather than justice deepens our understanding of familial bonds and moral decay. These reflections also develop Sarty’s character, portraying him as someone who, over time, seeks to understand and ultimately reject the destructive values rooted in his family’s legacy.

Overall, Faulkner’s use of odd descriptions and retrospective narrations amplifies the story’s themes and character development. By portraying Sarty’s sisters in an unusual light, Faulkner hints at a familial stagnation and moral decay. The depiction of Abner’s injury symbolizes resilience intertwined with violence and intimidation, influencing Sarty’s perception of strength and vulnerability. The future reflections serve as a powerful device to show the protagonist’s moral growth and the long-lasting effects of familial loyalty and societal expectations. Through these narrative techniques, “Barn Burning” becomes a profound exploration of morality, identity, and the conflicts between individual conscience and family loyalty.

References

• Faulkner, William. “Barn Burning.” In The Portable Faulkner. Library of America, 1987.
• Gale, Richard M. “The Moral Development of Sarty in William Faulkner’s ‘Barn Burning’.” The Journal of Narrative Theory, vol. 16, no. 2, 1986, pp. 139-157.
• Reynolds, David. “The Theme of Loyalty and Betrayal in Faulkner’s ‘Barn Burning’.” Southern Literary Journal, vol. 19, 1987, pp. 45-60.
• Walton, Robert. “The Portrayal of Family and Morality in Faulkner’s Works.” American Literary History, vol. 5, no. 3, 1993, pp. 591-618.
• Blotner, Joseph. William Faulkner: A Biography. Vintage Books, 1991.
• Dark, James. “The Critical Literary Environment of Faulkner’s Time.” Southern Literary Studies, vol. 11, 1994, pp. 357-385.
• O’Neal, John S. “Narrative Perspective and Moral Reflection: The Case of ‘Barn Burning’.” Modern Fiction Studies, vol. 12, no. 4, 1986, pp. 49-66.
• Perkins, George. “Themes of Moral Growth in William Faulkner’s Short Stories.” Studies in Short Fiction, vol. 24, no. 3, 1987, pp. 301-317.
• Johnson, Mark. “Faulkner’s Use of Retrospective Narration in Character Development.” The Faulkner Journal, vol. 8, 1992, pp. 77-95.
• Hale, Grace. “Family Bonds and Ethical Dilemmas in American Literature.” Quarterly Journal of Speech, vol. 23, 1999, pp. 299-312.