WIKI
Abituraufgaben
Referate
Fächer
FORUM
News
Ankündigungen
Schule
Nach der Schule
Freizeit und Miteinander
Computer & Internet
OffTopic
CHAT
IRC
Tutorial
TOOLS
html2wiki
GAMES
WIKISCHOOL
Impressum
LinksBarn Burning (questions)
Aus WikiSchool
[Bearbeiten] What is the message of barn burning?
The story of Abner Snopes and his family is a very sad one. By burning barn after barn in several towns Snopes makes life for his family very hard. The book does not give a concrete answer to the question why Abner burns the barns but his behavior and also the information that he had served in the Civil War can give us a clue.
On Page 38 we learn that Abner Snopes joined the war as a private. That experience probably changed his life and his attitude towards rich white people and black servants or workers. Rich men could buy themselves off from the duty of war and therefore stay with their families and continue with making money. But Abner had to leave everything behind and stay on the battlefield, probably for many years. He lost his land and could not continue working as a horsetrader because of his injured leg (also a result of his years in war). So after returning home he had no money, no job and of course a mind full of terrible pictures and experiences from a horrid war.
Carrying on working as a "sharecropper" or tenant farmer after the war, Abner sees how the life of those who did not fight in the war had developed. They were happy in their beautiful houses and he had to work for them. It probably makes him feal jealous but mostly it makes him angry. Also seeing the black people working in the beautiful houses as servants and living a much better life than he does makes him feel treated deeply unfair.
Seeing all these circumstances of Abner Snopes life "Barn Burning" shows the class conflicts (caused by the administration of the war that allowed rich people to buy themselves off the war duty) and the deep impact that the violent experiences of war can have on a person.
[Bearbeiten] Why does Abner Snopes destroy the rug?
I think he destroys the rug for the same reason why he burns barns. In those times poor people had to fight for their state and risked their lives for example in the Civil War. They saw how other people died. And that was too horrible. Abner Snopes was one of these people and because of this he was jealous of rich people (for example Major de Spain). That`s the only reason why he burns barns and destroys the rug of Major de Spain, a rich man.
[Bearbeiten] Why does Abner Snopes hate Major de Spain?
Abner Snopes hates Major de Spain because he`s a rich man. He thinks that it`s unfair that poor people had to fight in wars (for example the Civil War) and rich people did not. Abner Snopes` family has to work for the rich though he fought in the war. He hates him because he`s envious of him, not of his richness but of his rights. That are the reasons why he takes revenge on rich people.
[Bearbeiten] Why did Abner´s hog escape?
The hog could escape because Abner Snopes has no fence. Even after Mr. Harris gave him enough wire to build one he does not. That`s the reason why the hog was able to escape (again).
[Bearbeiten] Why is Sarty injured?
He is injured because he gets hit from an adolescent boy in front of the courthouse after the first trial. This boy had called him: "Barn burner!" before he hits him in his face. He probably thought that Sarty wouldn't fight back after his family was something like "banished".
[Bearbeiten] How are Sarty´s sisters described?
They are described as fat, slow, not really busy, dumb persons in silly dresses. The narrator says that they are fat like cows, boring and really really lazy.
[Bearbeiten] What are Sarty´s feelings when he sees Major de Spain´s mansion?
Sarty is overwhelmed because he has never seen a house like this before. He thinks that it is very peaceful and that his father can´t burn this peace. He is of the opinion that the mansion looks like a big impressing courthouse.
[Bearbeiten] Why does Abner Snopes pay a visit to Major de Spain before starting to work for him?
He wants to show Major de Spain that he´s not a person you can fool around with. He wants him to be kind of impressed of him.
[Bearbeiten] What happens when the black butler meets them at the door of the mansion?
The butler tells Abner to rub his feet before he can enter the house, because in the hall there lies a big white(?) carpet on the floor. Abner ignores the request and enters the house with his dirty shoes. Then he deliberately steps on the bright and expensive rug. After that the black butler is disgusted and calls Miss Lula. She says that Major de Spain isn`t at home and that they (Abner and Sarty Snopes) should leave the house directly.
[Bearbeiten] What does Abner do to destroy the rug?
He searches a sharp stone on the field in front of his house with which he cuts parts of the rug out.
[Bearbeiten] What is the courts decision in the second law suit?
The court decides that Abner just has to pay half the penalty, which means just 10 bushels of corn instead of 20.
[Bearbeiten] How do we learn that Abner plans to burn Major de Spain´s barn?
He collects all burnable stuff around his house and pours it into a can.
[Bearbeiten] What makes Abner burn barns?
First we learn that he had to fight in a war while his family had to work for the rich people, who could pay a lot of money to the army so they not have to fight. He wants to take revenge for this injustice by burning barns of the rich people.
[Bearbeiten] What role does Sarty´s mother have?
She has the traditional job to clean the house, cook the food and take care for their children. She also has the role of a kind of victim because she has to do all her husband wants.
[Bearbeiten] What does Sarty finally prevent from being loyal to his father anymore?
I think the turning point is when he sees de Spain´s mansion for the first time. He hopes that this is a peaceful place his father can´t destroy. He realizes that the things which his father has done are not correct. He doesn´t want to become a man like his father.
[Bearbeiten] What kind of role do the women play in the story?
William Faulkner didn´t give them a main role. They always stay in the backround of the action. You can also say that the women either play the role of a victim (like Sarty´s mother) or just have the job to show the reader the position of women in the society at that time. They have to cook, to wash and to clean up the house --> the roles of typical housewives.
[Bearbeiten] What is the point of view of the narrator in Barn Burning
The primary narrator of this story is the young boy Sarty, for whom Faulkner uses the interior monologue. This style represents the inner thoughts of a character, recording the internal or emotional thoughts or feelings of an individual. Toward the end of the story, the point of view switches to an omniscient narrator.
Back to Barn Burning