On the Contemptuous Tone of Faulkner’s Barn Burning Essay Example

for his family and his own role within it. Sarty's descriptions of his family are not flattering at all - he sees his sisters as unattractive, like cows, and adorned with inexpensive ribbons in an unsuccessful attempt to appear beautiful.

In the scene at the de Spain residence, the sisters are seen picking up the ruined rug. They display a large amount of pale cloth and tawdry ribbons. Sarty disapproves of his sisters, viewing them as lazy and undesirable. He even compares his older brother's chewing to the sideways motion of cows, suggesting that his sisters and brother share a bovine nature.

The alliterative description of his sisters' voices as having an "incorrigible idle inertia" (175) adds to the evidence that Sarty perceives them as unchangingly lazy. Additionally, his thought of "He aims for me to lie," accompanied by feelings of "frantic grief and despair," (171) reveals Sarty's resistance to supporting his father and his understanding of his father's wrongdoing.

He is aware that if someone asks him to do something, he will have to comply, even though he doesn't want to acknowledge it. However, he understands that his fate is tied to his desperate and untrustworthy father. While describing his surroundings, he notices a circus poster on the other side of the store and the painted leers of comedians on it, which show his perspective of wanting a life outside of his family. He explains how he sat with his back facing what he considered as home, symbolizing his strong desire to leave.

The text highlights how resolutely Sarty leaves without looking back and the detailed imagery used to depict

not only himself and his father but also the rest of his family. Faulkner takes advantage of these characters to communicate the contemptuous tone that the son harbors towards his family. The meticulous description of Sarty's most intense situations showcases his determination to escape the undesirable destiny that awaits him.