Heroic Life Decisions: Comparing Sarty in "Barn Burning" by William Faulkner and Sammy in "A&P" by John Updike

Upon coming of age, a young man will face an internal struggle between what he feels is the "right" thing to do and what society expects. The two stories, "Barn Burning" by William Faulkner and "A&P" by John Updike, thematically represent these struggles through their main characters, Sarty and Sammy respectively. Although these two stories differ in setting and character, Sarty and Sammy are required to make a decision which will affect the …

…both gave up a type of security: Sarty gave up the security of family and Sammy gave up the security of a stable job. Each of these characters decided to explore their life as their own life and not within the rigid structures of what was expected of them by family or society. Heroically, they broke out of the constraints dictated by their authority figures and did what they felt was the best for themselves.