Barn Burning 2

William Faulkner is concerned with the south and its problems with black slavery. The issues in Barn Burning deal with the conflict between father and son. The theme of this story focuses on justice. The boy, Sarty, objects to his father burning barns and wants people to be treated fairly. His father, Abner, believes his son should respect and support kin. Abner thinks family is right no matter what. Faulkner’s intent is to show …

…DeSpain’s house he walks toward justice while his father is heads in the opposite direction. This presents the conflict between them. In Barn Burning the major theme is the conflict between father and son who portray family and justice respectively. Throughout the story this theme is illustrated by its point of view, its characterization, and its setting. Faulkner uses this approach to illustrate his theme in a way the reader can interpret more clearly.