A Marxist Critisim of Barn Burning - 1062 Words

Virginia Benefield Mrs. Woody English 1020 Section C07 11 February 2012 A Marxist Criticism of â€Å"Barn Burning† â€Å"It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but on the contrary their social being that determines their consciousness.† (Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy). Marx believed that being born in one social class determined ones thoughts and actions. Marx also was adamant that conflict was caused by the division of labor. In â€Å"Barn Burning† by Falkner, both of these beliefs were especially prevalent in the differences between Abner Snopes and Major de Spain. â€Å"Barn Burning† showcases Colonel Sartoris Snopes’s (Sarty) break with his father’s beliefs on how best to deal with the class†¦show more content†¦His son, Sarty, is also developing class consciousness. He, however, thinks there has to be a better approach to creating social justice. Sarty Snopes is only ten years old, yet he has already developed a distinct sense of justice. This is particularly obvious at the beginning of the story. The story opens up in a courtroom where Abner is on trial for burning a barn. Sarty is caught between his blood ties and what he knows is right. Sarty ends up not having to testify, and, for now, does not have to make his decision. Sarty is also beginning to realize the social inequalities of the South and its sharecropping system. Sarty was beginning to see what his father saw, but Sarty was not his father. Sarty sees a different way to enact change, a way without violence. Sarty wanted to be a better man than his father. He detested his father’s brutal ways. Sarty wanted to be a man that would tell the truth no matter the personal consequences. These views were in direct conflict with his father’s, and Sarty knew he would have to make a decision between his father and the man he wants to be. Sarty’s own name is in conflict with itself. Colonel Sartoris was an upper class colonel in the Civil War, while his la st name Snopes is quiet lowly. When the time comes, he does make the break and tells Major de Spain of his father’s plans, but he also has to live with the guilt he now feels for being partly responsible for what he thinks is his father’s death. In â€Å"Barn Burning†,