Dichotomy In Barn Burning

What makes someone a hero? According to Oxford Dictionaries, a hero is “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities” (“Hero”). While succinct, this definition is far from insightful. What traits would most people consider to be heroic? While most people can readily recall famous heroes, being a household name is not what makes a person a hero. A hero is a person with the traits and characteristics of honesty, courage, ambition, and morality. Sarty is an unlikely hero in Faulkner’s short story “Barn Burning” because he readily demonstrates the qualities of a hero. It would be both easy and simplistic to cast Sarty into the role of a traitor. He most likely would have told the truth of his father’s actions during the first trial, as evidenced by his father’s reaction – “You were fixing to tell them” (482). There is no ambiguity regarding Sarty’s actions in telling de Spain that the barn was in danger (490). Sarty announced his father’s misdeeds to the world, leaving him behind to face the fate of his own making, rather than standing with his family. However, Sarty was merely doing the right thing, even though it would make him hated by his family. The hero/traitor dichotomy is …show more content…
Sarty’s father, Abner, is being tried for burning down the barn of Mr. Harris. Sarty is called to stand in front of the Justice because “he knows” the truth (480). He also knows Abner wants him to lie about the fire, but the thought fills him with “frantic grief and despair” (480). Sarty has not lied to anybody, but the mere thought of knowing his father expects him to lie twists him up inside. The simple fact that lying sickens this 10 year old boy displays how honest he is in character. This honesty is integral to Sarty as a character and is the cornerstone to Faulkner's ability to tell this story that evokes such a broad variety of emotional