Bert Breen's Barn was published about 75 years after its setting, which automatically clues us into the book's interest in exploring the past. The story is also about personal and familial past, with characters offering examples of how the past can dominate the present.
In particular, Tom and Polly Ann contend with the burden of past family members who have done them wrong. The shame and trouble of the past sticks with Polly Ann into the present, and she lets it define who she is and how she views the world. Tom hears stories about that past from Polly Ann and feels the shame of them, but that's what makes him dead-set on changing the tune for his family in the future.
Questions About Memory and the Past
- For characters in the novel, is memory of the past a gift or a hardship? Or a little of both?
- What are the dangers of dwelling in the past?
- Is there a difference between how Tom, a young 'un, views the past compared to how older characters view it?
- How does the historical setting of the novel tie into the theme of memory and the past?
Chew on This
A difficult past can be an asset because it provides motivation.
Breaking the past requires youthful characters; older characters are too enmeshed in it to make changes.