The Endless Circle in William Faulkners Barn Burning :: Barn Burning Essays

The Endless Circle in William Faulkners Barn impetuous William Faulkners short story Barn fervent is the tale of a southern while forced into a role by society. Barn Burning takes place in the post CivilWar South where a mans place in society is derived by their actions during thewar. Ab Snopse, a man who served both the join and the South, is plagued withhis non-allegiance and failure to accept authority. When Ab comes into conflictwith his employer, he finds himself taking control from the authority figure out,and reverting back to his bourgeois ways. Having no allegiance, Ab makes themove from helping hand to the enemy by burn down barns. Along with many of Faulkners short stories, Barn Burning is gravel inthe imaginary Mississippi county of Yoknapatawpha. During the restoration ofthe South, the time period next the Civil War, the only thing that kept theSouth alive and foot race where the memories of fallen heroes and the belief thatthe South would someday regain the s tatus that it had at once held. Families likethe Sartorises and the de Spains were glorified and praised for honors thattheir family members had achieved during battle. The honor that families likethese were granted placed them in public offices, and gave them opportunities toprosper where others could only dream about. This same honor seemed to deport onto those who shared the names of the great war heroes. Hey, the Justice said. prattle louder. Colonel Sartoris? I reckon anybody named for Colonel Sartoris inthis county shtupt help but tell the truth, can they? (Kennedy 163). On the other hand, the Snopses are viewed as dishonorable. During thewar, Ab Snopse was considered a mercenary for serving both sides of the way. ...nights passed during those four years in the woods covert from all men, blueand gray, with his strings of horses (captured horses, he called them) (165).Ab stole horses from the North and the South, to earn a living. He was evenshot by a confederate s out of d ateier, His father bring outed, and he followed the stiffblack coat, the wiry figure walking a little stiffly from where a Confederateprovosts mans musket junkie had taken him in the heel on a stolen horse xxxyears ago...(164). Actions like these caused the community to look down uponthe Snopses, which in turn caused Ab to invoke revenge upon his adversaries. When Ab comes into conflict with an employer, he reverts to his oldCivil War ways of non allegiance to benefit himself.