Comparing Barn Burning And Carnal Knowledge

The short stories, “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner, “An Ounce of Cure” by Alice Munro, and “Carnal Knowledge” by T. C. Boyle are all similar in the way that the protagonists in each story are stubborn. They do not see that the choices they make negatively impact them and those around them. In the story “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner, the protagonist, Colonel Sartoris Snopes, Sarty for short, is caught between a character vs. character conflict between him and his father, Abner Snopes. Abner is a violent, short-tempered man who does not take criticism well or punishment well. In the beginning of “Barn Burning,” Sarty is in trial because someone accused his father, Abner, of burning down Mr. Harris’ barn. Sarty is forced to lie for his father so that they wouldn’t get in anymore trouble, but they eventually are forced to leave the county. Later, the Snopes family finds a new estate to work at in a different county. Abner starts to get lazy and inevitably bring in manure onto they estate owner’s rug. The owner of the estate, Major de Spain, is furious and forces Abner to clean the rug for him. But instead of going to get it professionally cleaned, he tries to clean it himself by using a rock, which ruins the rug. Major de Spain takes Abner to court and the judges decides that Abner owns Major de Spain thirty bushels of corn. Abner did not like having to pay him back so he decides he wants to burn down Major de Spain’s barn. Sarty starts to understand why no one in their old county did not like his father. This brings him to a decision that will change his life forever. When Abner was preparing to burn down the barn, he asked Sarty to get the oil. Sarty refused and that was the moment Abner …show more content…
She is involved in a character vs. self conflict because he does not know how to deal with the heartbreak she went through when she is dumped by her boyfriend,