Essay about Cultural Criticism of Barn Burning by William...

Cultural Criticism of Barn Burning by William Faulkner In William Faulkners Barn Burning, a young boy must face his father and face the reality of a racist society. He must also discover for himself that his father is wrong and learn to grow up the right way in a racial environment. Faulkners setting is one of the most important literary elements in the story. He takes a young black boy and puts him in a real world of chaos and disorder. In the South, race is one of the most important factors in how one would live his or her life. The only way he can retain his own dignity in the end is to believe in his own courage and goodwill. The young boy, Sartoris, has a kind of loyalty for his father, Abner†¦show more content†¦Sarty has moved out of childhood, developing a mind and will of his own. He is no longer unperceptively loyal to his father. Sarty becomes his own self-reliant person, instead of being the shadow of his father. When he warns de Spain of his barn burning, Sarty becomes disloyal to his father and his own heritage. At this time, blacks had to band together to fight off the white men and oppression, but Sarty does not do this. After they flee the country, Abner is still abusive to his family. Abner Snopes is full of hatred and he is always ready to defend himself even when no one has an argument against him. This gives Sarty all the more reason to find himself. Sarty must choose to either follow the law or to choose the same path his father did, a life that satisfied himself and no one else. The first time Sarty had to choose between the law and his father he chose his father. He did not know much, only that the white men were enemies and that he had to stick to his own blood. He was used to his natural instincts and the teaching of his own heritage. That was not the case the second time around. As he got older, he got smarter. He realized that the confrontations that his father put him in were not right. When Abner goes to burn the barn in the new country, this is the first timeShow MoreRelatedWilliam Faulkner s Literary Accomplishments1753 Words   |  8 PagesWilliam Faulkner was a powerful writer whose highly anthologized works bear the image of the Southern Gothic tradition and the weight of more than half a century of literary analysis and criticism. Despite a vast amount of intense and perhaps belated scrutiny directed at Faulkner s literary accomplishments, the author himself had a vision and scope not to be outdone by his commentators. Between 1929 and 1936, Faulkner published novels with characters ranging from children, thinkers, the insane,Read MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pagesfuture chapters, such as (a) examples of deceptive techniques by advertisers, salespersons, and propagandists, (b) examples of reasoning errors discussed in later chapters, (c) examples of violations of several principles of good reasoning or good criticism, and (d) two to four examples of good reasoning. 4. For the following hypothetical situation, state what decision you recommend and why you recommend it. Weigh the pros and cons, and describe your process of weighing the pros and cons. A West