atus, while the landlord's house has a peace and stability emblematic of a more settled way of life.
Since the story is told from the boy's point of view, one knows from the very beginning that thoughts of his father bring him unhappiness. His father has been brought before a Justice of Peace's court, where he is being charged with barn burning. With "despair and grief," the boy feels the "old fierce pull of blood" (Faulkner 3). He is still trying at this point, however, to remain loyal and obedient to his father. A thought that his father faces his enemy is transformed by the boy:
('our enemy' he thought, in that despair; 'ourn! mine and hisn both! He's my father!') (Faulkner 3)
In addition, he is prepared to lie to protect his father in court if necessary.
As the boy reacts to subsequent events, however, factors that favor his eventual break with his father become increasingly apparent. The boy regards his father as a man who possesses "wolflike independence," "courage," a
...