At some point in life, everyone must make decisions that change their life forever. Usually you encounter an event or thing that prompts that decision. In William Faulkner's short story, "Barn Burning", Sarty, a young boy, is going through a period of initiation into adult life. During this process, he must make a life-changing decision. For Sarty, his father's fires become the element that plays many roles and ultimately pushes him to decide his life's path. As the story begins, Abner is in court for setting fire to Mr. Harris's barn. This fire plays a vital role in bringing father and son together. It is because of the fire that Sarty and Abner find themselves in court. It is also because of the fire that Sarty feels a certain level of identification with his father. He sees Anbner's accuser as "his father's enemy, our enemy... ours! Mine and his both!" (226). In Sarty's eyes, this common "enemy" unites them. There are no lines that separate the son from the father: what is his father's is also his. His use of the word "our" only helps to emphasize how strong he feels the bond that connects and unites them. Sarty also says, "Aim to make me lie...And I'll have to strike" (227). Sarty realizes that he will have to lie about the fire to save his father, and that his father wants him to. This understanding constitutes one of the very few moments of perfect synchrony between father and son. Later, when they leave the proceedings, Sarty gets into a fight with some local boys who call Abner "Barn Bumer!" (227). He feels that an insult directed at his father is the same thing as an insult directed at him. He defends his father the same way he would have defended himself if Abner... middle of paper... his unjust ways. Furthermore, the injustice of the destruction the fire will cause pushes him to make a decision. Abner tells Lennie to hold Sarty back. He says, "If he gets lost, don't you know what he'll do? He'll go up there" (238). He knows what Sarty will do. While Abner chooses to leave to light another fire, Sarty chooses freedom from the fires and the injustices associated with them. For Sarty, the element of fire is the catalysis that pushes him to decide the direction of his life. The fire first helps him identify with his father, then realize there is a choice between blood and justice, and finally make a decision about which he prefers. Without Abner's fires and the integral role they played in Sarty's life, the initiation process would not have taken place and Sarty would still be living with Abner and setting fires to people's barns..