Barn Burning

William Faulkner

Abner Snopes is accused of burning Mr. Harris’s barn, and his son, Colonel Sartoris Snopes (“Sarty”) is convinced that the people of the court are his family’s enemies. Sarty fiercely aligns himself with his father, placing his loyalty to blood and kin above his faith in the justice system. “Barn Burning” is a prequel to William Faulkner’s Snopes trilogy, which includes The Hamlet, The Town, and The Mansion. Although primarily known for his novels, William Faulkner wrote in a variety of formats, including plays, poetry, essays, screenplays, and short stories, many of which are highly acclaimed and anthologized. Like his novels, many of Faulkner’s short stories are set in fictional Yoknapatawapha County, a setting inspired by Lafayette County, where Faulkner spent most of his life. His first short story collection, These 13 (1931), includes many of his most frequently anthologized...