Barn Burning?

Reading William Faulker's "Barn Burning" has caused me to really think about human nature and human error. The father in this story is probably the most complex character I've read. He is quiet, brutal, and mysterious, but also so much more. How do you really classify someone's character? Words alone cannot do the job, and we have no other way of communicating. As I ponder this character, I realize that I know him. He is in every person I walk past in the hallways. His jealousy and hate are a part of all of us. But along with jealousy and hate come compassion and love. Though his character didn't appear to possess these qualities, I am sure that we as humans do. His own form of revenge was barn burning, what are ours? How far are we willing to go before reason and conscience remind us of who we are?