Has anyone read the book Barn Burning by William Faulkner?

Question

I am trying to figure out what the internal conflict is between the son and father. I can only find little to explain why? Can anyone give me examples if you remember reading the book. I have read the whole story and still am lost. Thank you

Answer 1

Well, actually it's a short story. But Faulkner is no easy task. The father and son have conflict because the father is constantly burning his employers barns, those who have 'done him wrong.' The father is vrey antagonistic, i.e, dragging his, um, feces-covered shoes across the white carpet. When he is made to clean said carpet, a 'wrong' has been done to him, so he goes through the motions to burn the barn. His daughters are lazy, but listen to him. The son, however, does not feel it is deserved, and defies him. He breaks free of his holds and runs to tell someone...thus, his father gets caught. The son feels a little guilt for what he's done, betraying his father.

Ah, that's what I remember anyway. The father feels filial devotion and obdience is necesary from his son, but does not seem to have an inclination to return. it A lot of emphasis is placed on the fact that they are the 'real South,' related to a Civil war general (Colonel Sartoris, I believe, that same as 'A Rose For Emily'). Since they are so distinguished in this way, the father feels he is superior to his employers, carpetbaggers and intruders, who have wealth while he has nothing...he's righting what he sees as a wrong by burning barns. His son doesn't see a distinction, and since his father deliberately dirtied the carpet, he thought it was only fair that he should have to clean it, etc, etc. Their views conflict on a fundamental level