Parent Child Relationships in Great Falls and Barn Burning

This article compares the parent-child relationships in the short stories Great Falls by Richard Ford and Barn Burning by William Faulkner. Both stories show how a growing child becomes more independent and questions parental authority. In Great Falls, the son Jackie is caught between his parents' conflicts and must find his own way in the world. In Barn Burning, the young boy Sartoris must choose between loyalty to his father and his own conscience. Ultimately, both stories show how the child is forced to think like an adult and develop a better understanding of parental authority and their own identity.