' But now he said nothing" (Faulkner). In contrast, the Younger family members also grow and change. Most notably, Walter Lee takes on the role of leader in the family, and makes the right decision for the rest of his family members. Critic Domina notes, "He must become the acknowledged head of his family, and he must also interact with other adult males as an equal" (Domina 113). These two characters gain personal growth and awareness, and the two stories' conclusions depend on this growth and awareness. The young boy will probably never see his dysfunctional family again, while the Youngers will probably face more discrimination and hatred. However, they have both attained their own measure of happiness, and both stories end on a somewhat hopeful note. Critic Ford continues, "Sarty...

Family binds one story together, while the other family tears apart and the story becomes a tale of personal growth and survival. The families are dissimilar, but the main characters grow and change and that may be the most important commonality between these two works.
References

Cooper, David D. "Hansberry's a Raisin in the Sun." Explicator 52.1 (1993): 59-61.

Domina, Lynn. Understanding a Raisin in the Sun a Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998.

Faulkner, William. "Barn Burning." Northern Kentucky University. 2007. 18 July 2007. http://www.nku.edu/~peers/barnburning.htm

Ford, Marilyn Claire. "Narrative Legerdemain: Evoking Sarty's Future in 'Barn Burning'." The Mississippi Quarterly 51.3 (1998): 527.

Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Random House, 1959.

Loges, Max L. "Faulkner's Barn Burning." Explicator…