A Tale of Moral Development and Transcendence of the Past

Abner is revealed as a creation who resorts to the power of leaven to level what he views as the cheating(prenominal) and unlevel playing field between rich and poor. Seeing himself as slighted socially by those who spend a penny more wealth or breeding, Abner uses fire to not only exact justice entirely as a means of reaffirming his self-worth in a auberge that views him as somehow "inferior." As we are told, "the element of fire spoke to some deep mainspring of his father's be, as the element of leaf blade or of powder spoke to other men, as the ane weapon for the preservation of integrity," (Faulkner, p. 218).

In reality, Abner is not a manhood of truth or integrity. Faulkner illustrates this point by using rootage as a symbol. We are told that Sarty carries the "terrible burden of being young, the light weight of his few years," (Faulkner, p. 225). In other words, Sarty is not mature yet and he lacks experience and maturity to dish out with his father's manipulation of "blood" ties to make him lie. When Sarty is reluctant to lie, Abner warns him, "You got to learn to rile to your own blood or you ain't going to have both blood to stick to you," (Faulkner, p. 219). Thus, blood represents the symbol of Sarty's moral dilemma. If he supports his "blood" and lies for his father, he knows he is not being h binglest.

equivalent the judge, Abner views the elite classes in society as out to corroborate him in an unfair and just manner. Afraid of being fringe by his

father, Sarty declines to tell him that he thinks they are only after truth and justice. Abner doesn't care almost anyone other than himself, in reality, but he justifies his self-serving methods by depicting those he steals from or whose property he destroy as unfairly against him. Sarty is not mature enough to have a fully developed morality and though he knows it is wrong to lie, he goes through considerable psychic annoyance over knowing he will have to, "He aims for me to lie?and I will have to do hit," (Faulkner, p. 217). Therefore, Faulkner uses symbolisation in the form of fire and blood to show the disagreement in character of Abner and Sarty.

Marshall, Alexander. "William Faulkner: The Symbolist Connection." American Literature, 59(3), Oct 1987, 389-351.

Faulkner also uses symbol to show the journey of maturity and moral development that Sarty undergoes, one that enables him to choose a nobler path of truth and integrity compared to his embittered father. Sarty does not correct the injustices of class distinctions or the ribs of the past that his father uses to justify his destructive and self-serving behavior. However, because Sarty is young, he still feels that following a path of truth and integrity is the morally correct route. He does not have bitter feelings of the past and it is only his father's abuse and coercion that make him consider lying. Eventually, Sarty realizes his own moral mandate is stronger and righter than sacrificing his integrity solely due to "blood" ties. As Allen (p. 427) observes, "The sons of Faulkner's illustration recover not the vainglory of their heroic fathers but a renewed and broader vision that is responsive to the present as healthful as to the past."

Ford, Marilyn Claire. "Narrative Legerdemain: Evoking Sarty's Future in atomic number 5 Burning." Mississippi Quarterly, 51(3), Summer 1998, 527-540.

In essence, Abner is not heroic. Though he is portrayed as a brave and courageous spring member of the cavalry, in reality Abner stol
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