Fire Power

William Faulkner's "Barn Burning" which follows a brief instance of the life of Colonel Sartoris Snopes after his family is driven out of town because his father burnt down a neighbors barn.   The story explores the violence that Abner Snopes uses to dominate Sartoris. And Sartoris struggles with the concept of loyalty, whether to be loyal to the law or his family. In the beginning Sartoris chooses his family and speaks out against those who called his father a barn burner. However later when his father is about to burn another barn in a new town, Sartoris goes and tells the barns owner and warns him before his father has a chance to commit the crime.

Fire is a recurring symbol in the story and is central to the plot. The story begins with the Abner Snopes' trial for his crime of barn burning. The Snopes are a poor tenant farmer family and thus doesn't have much influence or pull in the world. Because of this Abner, as the patriarch of the family, feels powerless in the world. He doesn't have any money for any other forms of power, and so he feels the need to act out against authority figures. He does this in the only way he can, by burning down someone else's barn, when he does this he gains power even if it is only made possible through criminal activity. In the first case it is the barn of his landlord who is in a position of dominance over the Snopes. He doesn't do it out of anger as the flames have "no heat". At their new home Abner is prosecuted for destroying his new landlords rug and is forced to pay him in crops. Again realizing his own powerlessness he turns to arson again and plans on burning down another barn. After the families exile, they are traveling to a new town and are camped outside. Abner builds a fire but he builds one so small its practically useless and doesn't provide warmth for his family. This shows that Abner is ultimately in a position of powerlessness.