Essay Questions

Why is Pattyn becoming defiant of her father at an early age?

Pattyn is the main protagonist of the story and she is raised in a Mormon family where she is forced to follow strict rules. The rules imposed on Pattyn are oppressive and she feels that her whole life is tightly controlled. Incongruously, her father who is supposed to be a role model in the family is instead alcoholic. Besides, Pattyn’s father blows her mother habitually and this does not please her at all. The father is also not responsible because Pattyn is left to take care of the younger siblings all the time. To show her desertification, Pattyn starts to date a young boy of her age just to show her defiance to the father. According to the Mormon rules, it is illegal for a lady to have sex with a man outside marriage. However, Pattyn is going against the rules just disobey her father.

What is the difference between Pattyn’s parents and Aunt Jeanette?

The author does not make a direct contrast between Pattyn’s parents and Aunt Jeanette but the reader does. The love Pattyn receives from her parents is inadequate as compared to the love she receives from Aunt Jeanette. The reader is left to judge and conclude that love in the book is depicted differently. The main reason why Pattyn is not receiving much love from her parents is that they are not living in harmony. Therefore, the main difference between Pattyn’s parents and Aunt Jeanette is love.

What is the main irony in the novel Burned?

Spiritual insincerity emerges as the main irony in this novel. The reader expects that a religious family should raise mentally fit children through proper guidance and teachings. Additionally, the reader expects those religious parents should act as role models for their children. Ironically, Pattyn’s family is characterized by religious hypocrisy. The family claims to be under the Mormon rules but the father’s actions tell an opposite story. Pattyn’s father is a drunkard and a violent man. Pattyn’s home is full of domestic violence because the father regularly beats her mother.