In the story “Barn Burning”, the characters are expressed in many different ways. The author does this by adding symbolic meaning behind 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 experience character growth. One person who truly experiences this growth is Sarty. Sarty is a young boy forced by expectations to defend family members, whether or not he has to lie for them. One instance where this happens within the story is during exposition whenever the judge questions Sarty during the trial about his father burning down a barn. Sarty answers all of the judge's questions about saving his father, but is upset because it goes against his morals. Sarty's loyalty to his family is tested time and again. He lets fear take over and influence his true moral sense. This portrayal of Sarty changes drastically throughout the story. Sarty's loyalty to his father seemed to stem from a long-standing fear of consequences....