The most obvious symbol in “The Revolt of ‘Mother’” is the contentious barn. It looms in the background of every scene, yet it means different things to different people.

For Adoniram, the barn is an important representation of his success and hard work. For men of this period, being able to acquire a certain amount of riches was a measure of status, and Adoniram clearly gives priority to this tangible symbol of coming up in the world. For Sarah, the barn symbolizes a promise broken. For 40 years she waited, without complaint, for the comforts that money can buy. She stands by as Adoniram cultivates success and is dismayed when he invests their wealth in a barn instead of using it to improve their home.

In the end, Sarah turns the negative symbol into a positive one—for her and her children, at least—by making the barn a home. How this reconfiguration changes Adoniram’s perception of the barn is less conclusive. It cannot be denied, however, that the barn now stands as a different kind of hallmark: a reminder of Sarah’s rebellion.