Seeking Justice for Poor Southern Whites: The Ethical Writing in “Barn Burning”

As the classic work of William Faulkner, “Barn Burning” focuses on the ethical crisis and choice of poor Southern American whites after the slave emancipation in the late 1890s. Taking the poor whites’ ethical crisis as the perspective, this thesis delves into the ethical dilemma, quest, and ethical choice represented by the Snopes family in the shift of power dynamic after the Civil War. Through Snopes’ path for seeking justice for the poor whites, Faulkner appeals for self-reliance and self-reflection within human beings, illustrating the potential for individuals to break free from the constraints of external dilemmas and secure justice and ethical value for all.