In the narratives. “The Lie. ” by Kurt Vonnegut and “Barn Burning. ” by William Faulkner. the chief characters mature from childhood into maturity. This adulthood either develops from support of one’s household and upbringing or it grows internally from one’s scruples. We see from both narratives that the chief characters use this adulthood to bravely talk up. In the narrative. “The Lie. ” Eli matures into maturity. Due to his parents’ deficiency of apprehension of his individualism in the beginning of the narrative. Eli has to deny his ain feelings.
When Eli receives the missive that he was rejected from the esteemed high school. Whitehill. he in secret tears it up since he is nervous of his parents’ letdown. Eli’s female parent. Sylvia. helps him passage into adulthood as she begins to acknowledge her son’s individualism. At the beginning of the narrative. Sylvia thinks of her boy as merely another Ramenzal that will be go toing Whitehill and even gives him “number 30 one” ( Vonnegut. 2 ) in the esteemed list of the Ramenzals who have attended the establishment. Sylvia fails to recognize that Eli has alone qualities that are different from the remainder of the Remenzels until the terminal of the narrative.
When the Remenzels discover from the schoolmaster that Eli has non been accepted to Leiter 2 the school and recognize that Eli has ran off because of the tough state of affairs he got himself into. Sylvia eventually recognizes that Whitehill is non the best topographic point for him. This allows Eli to open up and show his feelings comfortably. We see this when Eli expresses his feelings of choler at his male parent for seeking to acquire him into Whitehill. for he realizes he will non win at that place. He says. “You shouldn’t have done that” ( Vonnegut. 12 ) .
At the point that he is recognized as an person. he is finally able to maturate through his new ability to show himself without being intimidated. Sarty from the narrative “Barn Burning. ” besides develops and matures into maturity. Throughout the narrative he has an internal struggle between trueness to his household and making what is right.
Sarty’s male parent. Abner. makes this struggle really hard by coercing his boy to be loyal to a household that is populating a life of retribution. choler and requital. He accuses his boy of about stating the justness that his male parent did in fact burn down the barn. He hits his boy and so tells him. “You got to larn. You got to larn to lodge to your ain blood or you ain’t traveling to hold any blood to lodge to you” ( Faulkner. 3 ) .
He is faced with a struggle which he describes as “being pulled two ways like between two squads of horses” ( Faulkner. 7 ) . Finally at the terminal of the narrative he builds up the bravery to run away from his household and state the landlords that his male parent is be aftering on firing their barn. He realizes that he made the right determination of following his scruples and doesn’t sorrow being unpatriotic to his blood. as the narrative ends. “He did non look back” ( Faulkner. 11 ) . Leiter 3 We see in these two narratives the chief characters’ induction into maturity.
They both are able to openly show what they truly thought was the right thing. Eli matures and is able to show his feelings when he is recognized as an person and non as another Remenzel. Sarty besides develops into an grownup as he follows his scruples. and speaks out against his household. Sometimes a individual. like Eli. needs support in order to maturate. yet sometimes a individual. like Sarty. matures. regardless of support. by following his scruples. Works Cited Faulkner. William. Barn Burning. Logan. Iowa: Perfection Form. 1979. Print. Kurt Vonnegut. The Lie. Woodstock. Illinois: Dramatic Pub. . 1992. Print
