Barn Burning Family Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Paragraph)

Quote #4

"Lemme go" he cried. "I don't want to have to hit you!" (98)

These lines, lifted from one of the few scenes inside the Snopes's shack, bring home just how bad things are for this family. A mother forced to restrain her son from alerting the neighbor that his barn is about to be burned by her husband. We don't know if Sarty would have hit her, but the line shows how the violent atmosphere of the Snopes's home breeds violence, even in Sarty.

Quote #5

[…] and he sat now, his back toward what he had called home for four days now […]. (108)

The narrator is careful to show that Sarty is quite literally turning his back on his family. Does it seem odd to you that he doesn't seem to think about his mother, sisters, and brother, but only about his father? Furthermore, if Sarty thinks his father is dead, why doesn't he just go home to his mom?