New Criticism: literary theory and analytical methods

William Faulkner uses opposition and tension to great effect within his story, "Barn Burning." He explores oppositions like Sarty's blood ties to his father vs. The pull of moral imperative, and decent behaviour to society in general. These oppositions help to create the tension and mood in the story, and serve as a literary device to illustrate his themes of the initiation of the adolescent into adult life, and the triumph of the personal conscience over family loyalty.

Sarty's blood tie to his father vs. The pull of moral imperative to society in general is likely the major opposition within "Barn Burning."

As the story begins, Sartoris Snopes is in court, hoping that he does not have to testify in the arson case against his father, Mr. Snopes. Sarty knows that his father is guilty, but is willing to lie in court because he feels that his blood tie, to his father, or the "pull of blood" outweighs any moral imperative or decent behaviour to society. Sarty thinks that Mr. Harris is "his father's enemy (our enemy he thought in that despair, ourn, mine and hisn both! He's my father!)." Ultimately, Sarty must warn Mr. de Spain of his father's plans to burn down the plantation, as he cannot stop his father's actions. In this warning, the moral imperative to society wins out over the blood ties to his father, and Sarty has passed through a difficult and painful initiation into adult life.

Another striking opposition within Faulkner's novel is the opposition between De Spain's mansion and the black man's oppression. De Spain's mansion is beautiful, huge and the very epitome of white opulence and privilege in the South. "Hit's big as a courthouse," says Sarty, and fells a "surge of peace and joy" in seeing the house. The house's interior is impressive, with curving carpeted stairs, glittering chandeliers and shining gold frames. In contrast, Sarty's father sees the house as built on "sweat, nigger sweat." The black servant that they meet at the door, like Sarty's father, is in servitude to the de Spain's. Thus, the opulent de Spain mansion serves as a foil to the poverty and servitude of the back community in the South.

Faulkner uses the opposition between conventional justice and primitive justice to great effect within "Barn Burning." At the beginning of the novel, Abner Snopes is on trial for arson. Sarty sees the judge, a representative of conventional justice, as "his father's enemy," although Sarty views the judge as kindly. As such, we can see that Sarty views conventional justice as both in opposition to his father, and see that Sarty has a positive view of conventional justice, as symbolized in his opinion of the judge. Abner Snopes represents primitive justice. He is enraged by the South's view of people as chattel, and in his primitive rage, turns to arson as a form of primitive justice. Mr. Snopes has a "ferocious conviction in the rightness of his ways" and destroys the property of the landowners as a form of primitive retribution for his life as a poor white farmer.

Sarty is also torn between the opposition of loyalty to kinship and the rights of others. He is fiercely loyal to his father at the beginning of the novel, and yet feels the pull of his moral obligation to the rights of others. As Abner Snopes plans to set fire to the de Spain's barn, Sarty is aghast that he may hurt someone by not warning them of the blaze, saying "Ain't you even going to send a (slave)?" It is this violation of the safety and rights of others that finally frees Sarty to reveal his father's plan.

Another important opposition in Faulkner's novel occurs between property owners and sharecroppers. Property owners like the de Spains represent the highest level of social and economic status in the story. In contrast, the poor sharecroppers, or tenant farmers, represent one of the lowest levels of social and economic status. Sarty's father, a tenant farmer, is fiercely outraged by his situation in life, and feels that as a white man, he is entitled to a better station in life.

Faulkner exercises the clear opposition between temperate, cultured life, and violence and resistance within "Barn Burning."

The de Spain's represent the cultured, temperate existence that underlies the ideals of the old South. Sarty is clearly enamoured with the culture and temperance of the de Spain's existence. To Sarty, the de Spains' mansion represents safety and peace, and he hopes that his father has the same experience. Sarty says of his father, "maybe he will feel it too. Maybe it will even change him now from what maybe he couldn't help but be." In this statement, Sarty hopes that his father will be able to embrace the culture and temperance of the old South. However, this is not to be, as Sarty's father continues to represent violence and resistance against the temperate and cultured life.

The opposition between moving, burning, and trial vs. stability, property, and respectability is also important within the novel. Sarty's family is continually moving, as a result of his father's vengeful acts of burning landowner's property, which he ultimately faces trial for at the beginning of the story. In contrast, the de Spain's represent stability, property and respectability. Throughout the novel, Sarty admires and hungers for stability and respectability, while his father represents the opposite.