Barn Burning

Faulkner employs irony in multiple fashions and instances in “Barn Burning,” but the most obvious comes in the dramatic irony that underpins the main action. It is obvious from the start of the narrative that Sartoris is conflicted about his father’s acts of revenge. In the opening scene, Sartoris wants to tell the truth about his father’s actions, but his love for and fear of Snopes complicate his sense of right and wrong. Faulkner’s focus on Sartoris’s internal conflict gives “Barn Burning” tension and dramatic irony because Sartoris is not as aware as the reader of the choice that looms before him; it is obvious to the reader that Sartoris will likely have to choose between his loyalty to his father and his desire for justice, whether Sartoris wants to make the choice or not. He believes that Major de Spain’s estate will resist his father’s destruction, but in the end, he saves the estate rather than the estate saving him.

Diction adds a note of realism. Different characters from different social classes, economic standings, and educational backgrounds possess different manners of speaking. For example, in his inner monologue, Sartoris often uses words and inflections specific to a heavy Southern dialect; however, other characters, such as the judge and Major de Spain speak without obvious notes of dialect, perhaps emphasizing their social standing or levels of education. Alternatively, the third-person narration, which is between limited and omniscient, uses more eloquent diction and phrasing, creating a sense of separation between the narrator and the characters.