Symbols
Fire
Fire is a continuous threat in “Barn Burning,” and it represents both Snopes’s inborn powerlessness and his quest for power and self-expression. After the family was run out of town because Snopes burned a barn, Snopes then steals a split rail from a fence. He then builds a small fire by the roadside with his fencing. The fire was useless and barely fit the large family’s needs on a cold evening. He’d committed his fiery crime in a frantic grab at power, but now he shows how utterly powerless he is to take care for his family.
Snopes then turns the fire on other people’s property. Unlike the small fire Snopes built for his family, the fire that Snopes set inside Mr. Harris’s barn hailed the Confederate troops who looked night after night for the arson and thief. Snopes has now brought his entire family in to his lying. For Snopes, fire is a means of protecting his honor. Snopes was powerless and turns to fire to tip the balance in his favor, still if it was only for one short moment.
Snopes then turns the fire on other people’s property. Unlike the small fire Snopes built for his family, the fire that Snopes set inside Mr. Harris’s barn hailed the Confederate troops who looked night after night for the arson and thief. Snopes has now brought his entire family in to his lying. For Snopes, fire is a means of protecting his honor. Snopes was powerless and turns to fire to tip the balance in his favor, still if it was only for one short moment.