Barn Burning can be classified as a short story written. The book is set in about 1930s, the decade of the great depression by William Faulkner. It is a story, not based on any facts, but gives insights into how people lived in those years. Harper’s Magazine published the book in the year 1939 and it later as the best short story of the year at the Henry Memorial Award. The following is the plot of Barn Burning.
The book starts at a country store, which also serves as a peace court. Sarty stands outside the store as he craves for the meat and cheese, he is called to as a witness in his father’s case. His father, Abner Snopes, is accused of burning a barn owned by Mr. Harris’s. To defend his father, Sarty knows he has to lie that his father did not barn the barn. However, he does not testify as the judge realized it was a bad idea. For punishment, his father is banished from the country.
On a camp, Sarty is woken up by the father. His father thinks Sarty was in the verge of betraying him and hits him, telling him one should stick by their family always. On the following day when they arrive at a mansion where they are to work as tenant farmers, his father surprises Saart when he steps on horse poop and dirties their bosses white rug deliberately. The incident leads to Abner burning the rug after his daughter cleans it. He is charged twenty bushels of corn, which he protests by taking the boss to court. Abner is found guilty and should pay ten bushels of corn. He plans to burn his boss’ barn, but Sarty tries to stop him. He is not able to save the situation in time and runs away never to look back.
