Internal Conflict in Barn Burning by William Faulkner Essay

The whole kit Barn Burning by William Faulkner and The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck at first glance may depictm to shed no connection, lull in spite of different plot they center on on similar ideas.The invoice Barn Burning by William Faulkner discusses the inside conflict within Sartoris Snopes, a young son who faced a dilemma. He tries to ferment a decision of choosing in the midst of to prevaricationing in the lawcourt under his makes pressiure who does non want to get into the slammer and transactioning against his father by telling the truth. The primary(prenominal) character is influenced by Abner, his father, who tells him, You got to learn to stick to your proclaim blood or you aint going to gravel all blood to stick to you. ( P 496). I study this quote reflects the main issue of the story, which is astir(predicate) blood ties. And we all the way dupe how Sarty is affected by these blood ties. Faulkner depicts the inner conflict and dilemma that t he main character faces.We start to control the moral dilemma of the main character from the start-off of the story. I think Faulkner make us think ab protrude the question at what point should a intelligencefulness make a choice amid what his pargonnts and or family believes and his own ranges? The maculation in which Sartys conflict is developeded is a trial. In this trial Sarty is asked, I reckon any boy named for Colonel Sartoris in this country cant help but tell the truth, can they? ( P 154). The young boy, Sarty, somewhere deep in his heart has a feeling that he wants to act in a right way, but as he is oly 10 years old, I think it is hard for him to make firm decisions.His feelings and thoughts argon influnced by his father, who pressures him, trying to prevent himself from punishment in the court. We also understand that Abner makes his son struggle with himself by the way Sarty describes him. Abner does not speak much. We see this in the way he communicates with hi s family and other characters. He is a person with so much pride that he is ready to do any topic to strike back those who do something wrong to him or try to own him, even if he has to bypass the law. The choice that a young boy has to make stands between his family and conscience.When Sarty Snopes considers that he has to make a decision of choosing between blood, which is his duty to his family, and his own morality.Sartys father stesses the value of loyalty to the family. He states,thatif he does not stick to hi blood, he result not have any blood to stick to. Sarty tries to make himself believe this and even starts a troth with a boy for insulting his father.At first Sarty wants to be a moral person. He is very very upset that he has to lie speaking to the judge, but he is still going to do that, subtile his father wants him to do so. As Sarty respected Abner for his values, he thought he could back up him. The boy believed his father was a brave piece in the war, and tha t he wanted to send a warning before with a slave so that no one was hurt.The battle between listening to his own heart and deciding to follow his family is the hardest struggle of Sartys spirit. He understands that it is not correct to agree with his fathers suggestions, but he is not interested in disreputing his father by disagreeing with him. The antecedent explains that if he was older he would resist the world and try to transport the course of its events ( P 379). Sarty learns that he does not necessaruly need bulk in irder to refuse Abner at first he defends his father, but finally his firm to listen to his heart, which wants to help those who were harmed by obstinate and dogmatic Abner.Sarty warns the people in the big white house and goes down the channel. Soon Sarty hears a a few shots, and he thinks that his father and brother are caught by the landlord and are shot by him. Regardless of what indeeed happened, he understands he can neer return. The boy just contin ues to walk, and he does not look back. At this hour Sartys blood ties are broken, and he gets rid of the fear of his fathers wrath. The main character is light now. hardly his freedom requires pay some price. I think that the boy still feels some benevolent of blood tie, described by the author, and he made this choice with a lot of feelings on both sides of the issue.Sarty still cares for his family in some sense, he still feels love towards his father, even though he understands that what his fathers deeds are wrong and he really had to stop them and hold on to be a part of them. The fact that the boy is not adequate to come back home is not a question of hischoice, I think he just canont go back. So, Sartys heart still suffers from some conflict that is not really persistent, even though the military post has really throwd. As I have already discussed, at the beginning of the story Sarty feels a hygienic allegiance to his father, however, finally we learn that his vie ws change radically.The point of culmination is at the end of the story when Sarty has warned Major de Spain of Abners intentions to burn the barn. I think that the main character experiences the burst of emotions, rails down de Spains drive and hearing Majors long horse galloping behind him. The resolution to the conflict comes when Abner and his elder son are shot. But the real solution happens at night after Abners death, when Sarty is academic term upon the crest of a hill thinking about his actions and future life.Faulkner proves us that it is impossible to sruggle with ones own heart . The moment when Sarty resolute to choose morality over the blood pool and warned the de Spains revealed his true(p) character. Though this meant the death of his father, Sarty didnt regret of warning de Spain. Instead, it looked a equivalent the boy was trying to subsitute his memories of his father by some honorable, good person, who had strong convictions.In his story The Chrysanthemums John Steinbeck also reveales the conflict of a military man heart, which is committed with womens unfulfilled needs and desires. The author stresses that as human beings we have to appreciate each other, otherwise eventually we will make our lives inglorious and tragic. The main character, enzyme-linked-immunosorbent serologic assay Allen, is frustrated with her present life. She is plagued with no children and her maintain is not able admire her romantically as a woman. The only thing that helps her to calm down is her flower garden where beautiful chrysanthemums grow. Steinbeck shows enzyme-linked-immunosorbent serologic assays thoughts nad feelings about her inner self by depicting those chrysanthemums.The story presents the idea that appreciation by the people who we love is an element of human existence. When Elisa was acknowledged by her husband, said, maybe I could do it, too. Ive a gift with things, all right. My mother had it. She could stick anything in the screen back ground and make it grow ( P1261). At this moment the woman feels her husbands appreciation for commenting on her wonderful flowers.This idea of recognition is shown by John Steinbeck to demonstrate the need for a felling of acceptance. Feeling a strong need for acceptance, Elisa turns to a stranger and makes attempts to be appreciated. While Elisa talks to this stranger, their conversation connects to the realm of Elisas flowers. Elisas eyes grew alert and eager. She couldnt have known much about chrysanthemums. You can raise them from a seed ( P 1264). This depicts Elisas bliss and estrus, as she has an opportunity to be appreciated through her flowers again. By undestanding the value of Elisas flowers, the stranger really accepts the woman, as her flowers are in some sense the expression of herself.They are everything Elisa possesses, being sometimes valued by her husband and also being valued by the stranger. her eyes shone. She tore off the battered hat and shook out her dark pretty hair ( P 1264). In this quote we see that Elisa opens her heart up to the stranger. She tore off the hat to free herself from the work which was not appreciated, and revealed her real beauty to the stranger. By acting so, Elisa is prepared herself to get the gratitude from the stranger, the gratitude that she did not receive often from her husband. .After the play departs, Elisa is looking forward to her evening with her husband. She hopes Henry will recognise her needs as a woman and provide her with the womanise and passion which she desires. But this hope is quickly broken. The best best compliment on her sort that Henry makes after she has changed is, You look strong enough to break a calf over your knee, happy enough to eat it like a watermelon ( P 393). This unflattering comment on her appearance does not do much for Elisas ego as a woman nor toward her feelings toward her husband. Elisas hope is finally destroyed, as she finds the flowers on the road.The woman fee ls that her soul is completely emptied by the tinkers thoughtless rejection of her feelings. Just like her husband, he has failed to value the qualities that make her singular as a woman. This symbolic act has vanished her hope. Elisa realizes that her life will not change. Henry will not fully appreciate or understand her femininity and sexuality. She has to l earn to be content with suchunthoughtful husband and her awful marriage. She realizes that her devastation is really complete and leaves her call weakly-like an old woman ( P 394).The chrysanthemums stand for the symbol of Elisas role as a woman. At the beginning they symbolize her children, later on they represent her femininity and sexuality. Elisa feels that her life destroyed her soul because she lacked children and romance in her marriage with Henry. Eventually, her husband fails to appreciate her feminine qualities and her emotional needs. The admit with the tinker reawakens her sexuality and Elisa starts to hope t hat she still has a determine for a more exciting and romantic marriage. However, seeing the flowers on the road she realizes that there will not be any changes in her life. Finally, her soul is devastated by such a miserable and uhhappy life.I think that in contrast to the inner conflict, which Faulkners Sarty experienced at the beginning of the strory and resolved at the end, Steinbecks Elisa faced different situation. She had some hopes that her life will go in the desirable way, but all her expectations failed.In my opinion, in spite of the conflicts which different natures, both authors proved in their works that if human heart comes into the conflict with itself, it brings suffering. But I think that it is expenditure to suffer like Sarty for the sake of resolving the conflict however, life turns into the tragedy, when the conflict, like in Elisas case, is the final of a persons dreams and expectations.Bibliography1.Faulkner, William. Barn Burning. Bedford Introduction to Li terature. Boston Bedford/St.Martins, 2002.2.Billinglea, O. Fathers and Sons The Spiritual Quest in Faulkners BarnBurning. Mississippi Quarterly The journal of Southern Culture 44.3 (Summer 1991).3.Fowler, Virginia C. Faulkners Barn Burning Sartys Conflict Reconsidered. College Language Association Journal 24.4 (June 1981).4. Steinbeck, John. The Chrysanthemums. Fiction A Longman Pocket Anthology. Ed. R.S. Gwynn. Second Ed. New York Longman, 1998.5.Beach, J. John Steinbecks Authentic Characters. Readings on John Steinbeck. Ed. Swisher, Clarice. San Diego Greenhaven, 1996.