Social and Economical Aspects of Barn Burning
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Keisha Shedrick
The Social and Economic Aspects of "Barn Burning"
"Barn Burning" by William Faulkner is set in a small, rural town in Mississippi in the late 1930's. Faulkner conveys the story of the Snopes family and their struggles with each other and society. Abner Snopes is a stubborn, selfish man who has an obsession with fire that has caused to his family to move more than a dozen times because of his attitude toward people. He does not have any respect for authority and does whatever he feels is necessary for him to get what he wants. His son, Sarty, is trapped between of wanting his father to show him affection and attention, and his mother who just wants to do the right thing. Barn Burning presents an abundant amount of references to racial stereotyping, social hierarchy, and the importance of family ties to convey the story.
William Faulkner really captures the racial stereotyping with the use of one word: "nigger". "Where's the nigger? Have you got him? He was a strange nigger I tell you...