In the short story “Barn Burning,” the characters are expressed in several different ways. The author does this by adding symbolic meaning to each character's actions. Every decision means something and every detail matters when evaluating the characters in this story. As the story progresses, the reader can feel the character's growth. Sarty is someone who is really experiencing this growth. Sarty is a young boy confined by the expectation of defending his family members, whether or not he has to lie for them. One instance where this happens in the story is during exposition when the judge questions Sarty during the trial about his father burning down a barn. Sarty answers all of the judge's questions regarding his father's rescue, but is upset because it goes against his morals. Sarty's loyalty to his family is emphasized time and time again. He lets fear take over and affect his true sense of morality. This portrayal of Sarty changes dramatically throughout the story. Sarty's loyalty to his father seems to stem from a long fear of consequences....