Character Profile Sarty Snopes

Character Profile: Sarty Snopes

In "Barn Burning," Colonel Sartoris Snopes is a small, ten year old boy with straight brown hair. He has grown up living with his two sisters, one brother, an aunt, his mother, and his aggressive father, Abner Snopes.

Sarty was use to moving from county to county quite often. During his first ten years, he had seen at least twelve different houses. His father is very stern and expects others to follow his leading, regardless. He believes that family is everything and you must, "learn to stick to your own blood or you ain't going to have any blood to stick to you" (Faulkner 3).

The story opens in court where Sarty is to be a witness regarding the barn burning. He is at first faced with the question of whether he should behave as his father wants him to, or do as he feels is right, tell the truth. He decides that he has no option but to lie to the judge for his father's sake. Mr. Harris settles against questioning Sarty, being that he is unsure Sarty will speak truthfully. The judge advices the Snopes family to, "Leave this county," (Faulkner 2) and never return.

As they are about to depart, once again, for their new home, Sarty hears another boy call Abner a, "barn burner!" (Faulkner 2) and he attempts to knock the boy out. Although this attempt makes it evident Sarty loves his father, he often deliberates the outcome of continuing to live with such a stern man, wondering what new opportunities could arise if he were to run away.

The young boy once again intends to stand up for Abner during the trial for the ruining of Major de Spain's rug. The rug was brought to them to clean, and was not returned in the same form. Sarty tells his father that they will not pay any bushels of corn for the rug. He is forced to deal with Abner's attitude from