At some point in life, everyone has to make decisions that change their lives forever. Usually, one is faced with an event or thing that propels such a decision. In William Faulkner's short story, "Barn Burning", Sarty, a young boy, goes 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 burning down Mr. Harris' barn. This fire plays an essential 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 identification with his father. He considers Anbner's accuser to be "his father's enemy, our enemy... ours! mine and his both!" (226). In Sarty's eyes, this common “enemy” unites them. There is no boundary between the son and the father: what belongs to his father is also his. His use of the word “our” only highlights how deeply he feels the bond that connects and unites them. Sarty also says: “He wants me to lie… And I will have to have him hit” (227). Sarty realizes that he will have to lie about the fire to save his father, and that his father wants him to do it. This understanding constitutes one of the rare moments of perfect synchrony between father and son. Later, when they leave the proceedings, Sarty gets into a fight with some of the local boys who call Abner "Barn Bumer!" » (227). He believes that an insult addressed to his father is the same as an insult addressed to him. He defends his father the same way he would have defended himself if Abner... middle of paper ... had his father's unjust ways. In addition, the injustice of the destruction that the fire will cause pushes him to make a decision. Abner tells Lennie to hold Sarty back. He said, “If he gets lost, don’t you know what he will do? He will go up there” (238). He knows what Sarty will do. While Abner chooses to go and light another fire, Sarty chooses to free himself from the fires and the injustices associated with them. For Sarty, the fire element is the catalysis that pushes him to decide the direction of his life. The fire first helps him to identify with his father, then to realize the existence of a choice between blood and justice, and finally to make a decision on which one he prefers. Without Abner's fires and the vital role they played in Sarty's life, the initiation process would not have happened and Sarty would still be living with Abner and setting people's barns on fire..