Barn Burning Justice and Judgment Quotes

Even though we don't like Abner, it's heartwarming to see Sarty gain empathy for him. It shows that Sarty is deeply concerned with fairness. He thinks his father's cleaning of the rug was a gesture of good faith, which de Spain has rejected.

The narrator suggests that tenant farmers had access to legal process, but rarely used it. Abner did create the whole mess in the first place, but he does seem to be setting a good example for others in his situation, at least on this one issue. If tenant farmers would exercise their rights to pursue legal action against their landlords, the landlords might be less likely to take advantage of them.

Sarty's judgment on his father here seems to be heartfelt. He cites his father's war activities as evidence of the man's bravery, and the narrator wonders if Sarty would still find his father brave if he knew the truth. We think Sarty's judgment goes deeper. In time he will probably realize that his father was both brave, and a coward.