"Barn Burning" Questions

Maybe Sarty saw this in the early morning

1123 “Barn Burning” – Questions for Discussion in class:

Sharecropping In The United States

1. Describe the buildings in the story, their presentation and importance.  Significant structures include grocery store/courthouses, Major deSpain’s  mansion,  Snopes’ cabin, and barns.
2. What are possessions of the Snopes family? How are they described and what is the significance
3. Locate and analyze passages in the story that emphasize the characters’ differences in wealth.
4. What crimes against property is Abner Snopes guilty of before the events of the story?  During the time interval of the story?  What punishments result?
5. Locate an explicit reference to the idea of “owning people.” Is the idea implied in other passages?
6. What are the story’s implications regarding the “American Dream” and ideal of the United States as the land of opportunity and justice?

Do you believe "Barn Burning" is essentially a coming-of-age story, or do you believe it is about something else--class conflict, for example?  Write a page that portrays your ideas.  It does not have to be typed.

After you have completed the questions, I will attach the "Barn Burning" Symbolism

Monologue:  Write a one-page monologue of one of the characters in the story (the character talks about himself or herself from his or her own perspective--like talking to oneself with no one answering. Click on the example.

Monologue example:

“The Swimmer” by John Cheever

            I grew up and lived in a very exclusive and wealthy section of town. I could have almost anything that I wanted at any time and I do not know what it is like to be poor. My name is Neddy Merrill and I’m married with four daughters. My favorite thing to do in the world is to sit around the pool with my neighbors and have a few drinks, especially the drinks!

            One summer Sunday, I got it into my head that I would swim to my house from my neighbor’s house. After all, my house was only eight miles away and I thought that I could swim in all of my neighbor’s pools until I got home. You probably thought that I was going to swim an eight-mile stream or river to my house, didn’t you? If I could get home this way, I thought that I would have a sense of exploration and fun.

            As I started on my “swimming” journey, I met some of my neighbors. They were having a grand old time drinking and I had to be cordial and accept their invitations to partake. Obviously, they (my neighbors) valued the same things that I did, socializing around the pool and having a few drinks. I don’t think there is anything more important to me than drinking and having a good time, not even my wife and daughters.

            I continued on my swimming journey and finally reached my home. I wondered why the place was dark and I pounded on the door. I peered through the windows and saw no one. I wondered what could have happened. I was only having a good time and a few drinks; after all socializing was what was important to me. I had that, didn’t I? But, no one was at home and I realized that because of my good times and alcohol, I didn’t have anyone at all, not even my daughters or wife (n.p.).

Work Cited

If this were from “Paul’s Case,” the Works Cited would look like this:

Cather, Willa.  “Paul’s Case.”  eNotes.com.  Web.  19 Jan. 2011.

      http://www.enotes.com/pauls-case-willa-cather-text 

notice that this is double spaced and indented; normally, the website will be on the first line, but since the computer doesn't allow the website to be divided, it may have to be on the second line.  Also, notice that the last line of the monologue has a parenthetical reference of n.p., which means no page since this was taken from a website.  Yours will be from your text book, so you will be able to put in a page number like this: (Faulkner 55).