Is morality more important than family? "His father, stiff in his back Sunday coat donned not for the trial but for the moving, did not even look at him. He aims for me to lie, he thought again with frantic grief and despair. And I will have to do hit." In the story Barn Burning, written by William Faulkner, Sartoris Snopes tries to stand by his father no matter what he do because they are a family. But it is hard for Sartoris because his father does not do things he feels is right. Although, Abner is his father, Sartoris chose morality over his family. .
Abner Snopes has a habit of burning something down every time he gets angry. In the beginning of the story he burns Mr. Harris's barn down because his hog got into Mr. Harris's corn. Mr. Harris returns it and gives him wires to patch up his pen so it will not happen again. However, Abner does not patch up his pen and so the hog gets out again. Mr. Harris keeps the hog when the hog comes again and demands a dollar pound fee to return it back. Coincidently that night a "nigger" pays him the fee and the barn burns. Mr. Harris accused Abner. Abner is put on trial and Mr. Harris asks Sartoris to testify. "Our enemy he thought in that despair; ourn! Min and hisn both! He's my father!) Sartoris forces himself to be on his father side. He is telling himself that Mr. Harris is his enemy so he will feel easier when he is testifying. Luckily, Mr. Harris changes his mind because it is silly to think that a young boy will go against his father and help him. He knows the testimony of Sartoris will not benefit him but benefit Abner. Sartoris feels relief for not having to lie and go against his morals. The Justice told the Snopes to leave the country and advice them to never step back into the town again.
After that incident, the Snopes moves to de Spain. They now work in the plantation of Major de Spain. Sartoris hopes that a change of environment might help his father.
