Barn Burning Summary

The story opens with a hearing in the justice of the peace's court, within a small country store, where Abner Snopes is charged with arson—setting fire to a barn belonging to his overseer, Mr. Harris. Because there is no direct substantiating evidence, the justice throws the case out of court but admonishes Snopes and his family to vacate the county by nightfall. On the way out of the general store/courtroom, someone knocks the young boy, Col. Sartoris Snopes ("Sarty") on the back of the head and accuses him of burning the barn. Evidently accustomed to sudden departures because of Abner's penchant for setting fires, the family loads up their wagon and prepares to leave. They include Abner and his wife and her two twin sisters, the young Sarty and his two older brothers.

After traveling all night, they...