Theme of The Story
The theme of the short story “Barney” is that underestimating science can lead to a deadly future if we (humans) are not careful and aware of the results and consequences of our experiments. Science can lead the world to a brighter future but then again, it can also lead to the downfall of humanity.
Point of View
The story “Barney” is written in a first person point of view.
• The story is directed by the scientist who performs the experiments on Barney. The scientist knows what is happening in the present, but he cannot predict the future. Therefore, the story is in first person narrated by the scientist.
• The story point of view affects how we look and view the characters. The first person point of view can also help us visualize what the character will do next because of the behavior the character displays in the story. We can therefore predict the outcome of the story.