Racial Injustice in America, By: William Faulkner

Being a life long Mississippi man I was constantly surrounded by the injustice of racial inequality. There was never a day that went by that I didn’t imagine what life would be like if one’s skin color did not define their status in society.  I spent my adolescence being raised by great women, one of whom was dark skinned. As a free thinking man, I have always been perplexed by the Southern perspective of racial relations and used that confusion as thematic representations in my work.  It surprises me to know now that not only has man of color been elected president of the United States, but that one of his legitimate challengers is a man of color as well.  America has been removed from the injustices of racial segregation for such a short period of time. There are people alive today that were once not allowed to use the same water fountain as their white counterpart. Has America comes such a long way in such a short time? I feel that as a nation, a majority of Americans have  finally came to realize that skin color is irrelevant,  but there is still a place for racism in modern society. Despite civil rights and affirmative action, the African American population is still among the most struggling socioeconomic group in the United States. With a bad economy and minority unemployment on a continual rise, the immediate future does not look bright.  It took a civil war and the deaths of over five-hundred thousand citizens to end slavery. Who knows how long it will take for the African American population to gain complete equality in the United States. Perhaps nominating people of color to high office is another brick paved on the path to egalitarianism; but it will take thousands of bricks to finish the job.

Barn Burning: A Critical Analysis

In Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” the young Sarty Snopes defines the thin line between familial loyalty and following one’s conscience. As a poor share cropping family, the Snopes’ life is one of hardship and sacrifice. Abner, the patriarch of the family, is so enraged at their low socioeconomic status that his only solace is pure destruction. Not only does Abner destroy other’s personal property, he makes it his mission to devalue his family at every opportunity. Despite the dysfunction of his family, Sarty feels he is obligated to be loyal to the blood ties that bind him. His life is at a crossroads. Still not a man, but not quite a boy, Sarty knows in his heart that the Snopes family will do nothing but lead him down the same path of devastation. Abner has spent his life teaching his family that anyone with social superiority is a blood enemy; for that they must pay and the penalty is fire. Each time Abner sets a barn ablaze, the dream of a life without devastation smolders in the flames. Sarty is put in a position where he must face adult conflict and decide for himself what the right choice is and what is the wrong choice. If he stays with his family, Sarty will never be able to escape his gloomy fate. If he leaves, he risks loosing the only family he has ever known. This conflict runs deep within him. Despite his father’s cruelty, Sarty still feels devotion to him; however undeserving it may be. When Abner was on trial for the burning of his landlords’ barn, Sarty admits that if forced he might even lie for his father. He rationalizes his devotion with an idealized version of his father’s past. He believes that at one time Abner was a good man; going so far as to believe that he was once a loyal soldier in General Satoris’ forces. Though these stories are complete fabrications, they give Sarty a reason to hope. If Sarty can believe Abner once carried the traits of an honorable man he can understand that evil isn’t born, it is created. When Sarty decides to warn De Spain that Abner was going to burn his barn to ashes, he knows that the life he has lived up to this point was over. Sarty can never go back to his father. Turning his back on his own blood makes it impossible to rejoin the Snope’s family. Sarty decides that loyalty to his conscience is more important than supporting the indecency of his father.  

This scene from the theatrical portrayal of "Barn Burning" demonstrates a pivotal moment in the story where Sarty decides to abandon the life of destruction laid out by his father, Abner.