William Faulkner elected to write Barn Burning from his young character Sartys perspective because his sense of morality and decency would present a more plausible conflict in this story. Abner Snopes inability to feel the level of remorse needed to generate a truly moral predicament in this story, sheds light on Sartys efforts to overcome the constant pull of blood(277) that forces him to remain loyal to his father. As a result, this reveals the hidden contempt and fear Sarty has developed over the years because of Abners behavior. Sartys struggle to maintain an understanding of morality while clinging to the fading idolization of a father he fears, sets the tone for a chain of events that results in his liberation from Abners destructive defiance-but at a costly price.Sartys dilemma arises from his fathers destructive envy of his wealthy employers. Abner Snopes frustration with being a poor sharecropper owned body and soul(280) by the Souths rich and elite leads him to exact his revenge on the undeserving blue bloods in the only way he knows how-by burning down their barns. While Sartys loyalty to Abner is proven after a court hearing held by his fathers enemy . . . our enemy . . .ourn! mine and hisn both,(277) after which he challenges and is beaten by a boy half again his size(278) because the boy called his father a barn burner(278) he is left to make a critical decision between saving his family or his own morality.What prompts Sarty to betray his own moral character is his fear of Abner, who he describes as the black, flat, and bloodless . . . voice harsh like tin and without heat like tin(279). Time and again, Sarty has witnessed Abners propensity for inflicting fiery devastation upon wealthy people like Mr. Harris in a warped attempt to even the score. He is even more afraid of losing his fathers trust after Abner hits him hard but with out heat(280) not for telling the truth, but for wanting to. Sarty is conscious of t...
