Barn Burning Response

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Barn Burning” Response William Faulkner is arguably one of the greatest writers of southern gothic literature of all time. Faulkner spent most of his life in the south, in Oxford, Mississippi. It was there where he created his fictional place that most of his short stories and novels were set. This fictional world he created was closely based on his surroundings and interactions in Oxford, Mississippi. All of Faulkner’s works need to be read more than once because there is always something more underneath the surface. Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” is one of his short stories set in southern Mississippi. The story follows the poor, farming Snopes family. The story begins in a courthouse in the back of a general store where Abner Snopes is on trial for burning a barn. Snopes’s son, Colonel Sartoris Snopes is called to the stand to testify against his father, but he lies to protect him. No evidence is found against Abner Snopes, but they family is told to leave town for their own good. The Snopes family then travels to Major de Spain’s plantation where Abner and his sons will work as sharecroppers. Not long after they get there and begin working, something terrible begins to happen. Abner and his son Sartoris enter into Major de Spain’s house and ruin an expensive French rug. Major de Spain tells Abner to clean it and he does reluctantly. However, he does not clean it well enough and Major de Spain sues him for twenty bushels of corn. Abner becomes infuriated and tells Sartoris to fetch the oil so he can burn down Major de Spain’s barn. Sartoris does not do so and tries to run to tell Major de Spain what is going to happen. He is restrained by his mother and aunt, but eventually breaks free. He runs to the house and yells out that his father is going to burn the barn, and then he begins to run off on his own. Once he gets a little bit past the house he hears gunshots

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