(Updike 316)Client
Two characters from different stories will both share an experience of justice for what they believe in. An experience that is different, but it leaves footprints of their bravery of their unknown destiny. The stories that will be reflected are Barn Burning by William Faulkner and A and P by John Updike. This paper will also reflect over how these two characters are the same.
The literature artwork of Faulkner and Up is defined with these short stories. Their writing styles is both so brilliant that it still cherished by people today. They have the way of writing that aspiring writers dream to be.
Barn Burn by William Faulkner talks about dreams in a different perspective. The main character in this story is a child named Sarty. His full name is Colonel Sartoris Snopes who is ten years old. He lives with an abusive and tyrant father, passive mother, and other family members.
Sarty has dreams but does not know how to display them. He lacks the education experience. His family life is not surrounded or encouraged with a mother reading to their children. The mother is scared of her sinister husband.
While he shares that same fear, he also has a desire for change. A need to get away from destructive behavior and acts from his fathers. “His father has struck him before last night but never before had he paused afterward to explain why;” (Faulkner page 8). When his father rudely going to the Major de Spain house and does not wipe his feet, and leaves a mark on the rug, this is the pivot point of Faulkner writing.
Sarty is amazed about the beauty and of the house. He does not how to display it for again he has not been taught. Again, this is where readers seen the elegance of Faulkner’s writing because of how he describes that Sarty cannot express his emotions.
Sarty try to stand up again with his father by telling the servant of the Major de Spain house that his father was about to burn the barn.
The servant runs off to prevent the disaster, but shots are fired, and the servant is killed. This leaves Sarty in despair. It confirms his feelings of unhappiness and the injustice he feels with the family. He knows if he leaves his family he will face severe consequences. He sits awhile and ponders this. He then decides to be his own person and walk away from his family.
This brings us to the character Sammy from a story of John Updike. To see how these characters are same and different will be reflected now by a summary of the story with Sammy is the main character. While talking about Sammy, it will reference back to Sarty from the story of Barn Burning. It is being done to show the art of classical literature of Updike and Faulkner.
In the story of A and P by John Updike, we meet the main character who is nineteen years old and name are Sammy. Sammy is much like the character Sarty from Barn Burning. Both of these characters have a passion to stand up for justice, regardless of heavy punishment. These characters are different for Sammy can express his emotions. Just because he nineteen, a person should not assumed he has that ability. There could be reasons like mental disability.
When Sammy is admiring the main young woman in the pack of three, he starts to fantasies when he hears her speaks. He thinks she is of royalty by his description. He thinks his family is just poor. “ When my parents have somebody over they get lemonade and if it’s a real racy affair Schilitz in tall glasss with “They”ll Do It Every Time” cartoons stenciled on.”(Updike page 320). Sarty’s family was poor. We do not learn of the parent’s character from Sammy’s.
In the story of Sammy, we learn from him, and his manager that his parents will not be satisfied with his decision that he made. In the story of A and P, the three young women were harassed by the manager for they were wearing their swimsuits. The manager made the point that was not the right form of dress. Sammy was upset to how the young women were treated. He quit his job because of his. Like Sarty, he left behind something he had and was starting a new path, a path of unknown territory. For Sammy and Sarty this was a horrifying experience.
This could be because Sammy is older and knows the responsibilities of life. Again, , he is nineteen years old.
It could be said that he felt this dread for maybe there was something wrong with his parents. Perhaps it could be the possible due to the time era this story was written in it. Regardless, it gives a reader several ideas on why Sammy felt such dread about the life ahead after quitting.
This is where several with Sarty, but this as well could be led to interruption because of Faulkner writing. So maybe there is the factor that due to his abusive father and his dysfunctional family, Sarty grew up in years by mental due to his knowledge. Again, he sadly could not display them.
Sammy in the story of John Updike does get a tad of being tongue tied, but nothing compare to Sarty. Sammy has very lack back approach to life. This is seen when he is checking out a customer who is uptight.
I think that with the story of Sammy it was written to enlighten readers about the innocence of youth. Meaning when the three teenagers walked into A & P with their bathing suits and did not find anything wrong with that. I think that the character Sammy is shown as a typical teenager. It brings these rudimentary questions. Where would he work now? It is mention in the story this is a small town. Would his action of how he quit, effect his chances of getting another job? It also written to teach people think before acting.
In the story of Barn Burning, I believed it is written for several reasons. It was written to show the readers of a family during that era. It was mention that his father had served in the Civil War earlier in life and the cause for his bad leg. I think it also written to remind the readers that even those that are not properly educated, can still have a thirst for knowledge and the intelligence of knowing right and wrong. Sarty displays all these characteristics.
The characteristics of both of these characters show people who follow a moral code. These characters are both poor, yet they have dignity and pride. They have the courage. They have their main difference by being a different age and Sammy being poor, but not like Sarty. Regardless, again the work of art created by Faulkner and Updike is outstanding crafted.
Works Cited
Faulkner, William. Selected Short Stores of William Faulkner. 1993 ed. New York: The Modern Library, 1993. Print.
Updike, John. Collected Early Stories. New York, N. Y.: The Library of America, 2013. Print
