Was the sleeping child Burns' ?
The one in the house with Paul's wife.
shareNo. Now days every movie has infidelity and promiscuity, so we are conditioned to expect it. This movie is from a different era. Burns had a code of honor, and would not have betrayed his friend. It is Paul's child. Burns is close to them, so he is also close to the child.
shareBurns had a previous, failed relationship with Paul's wife, and he was probably thinking that had he been a different man, this would have been his son.
Absurdity: A Statement or belief inconsistent with my opinion.
I'm glad to discover this thread having two accurate, well-reasoned replies. I hope to make it three.
The world changes, and not in every way for the better. (And isn't that part of the essence of LONELY ARE THE BRAVE?) When watching any movie, you'll always appreciate it best by viewing it as a product of its era, and not by the social or moral standards common in the year you happen to see it.
Jack Burns would be neither heroic nor a loyal and protective friend, had he slept with his best friend's wife. Burns loves that sleeping boy (who has grown since last seen) as the child of his two closest friends -- and as joeparkson stated, the child who could have been his own, had life happened differently. But being the honorable man Burns is, he leaves that private thought unspoken.
That's also a sign of how American movies routinely used to leave characters' important thoughts, feelings, and motivations understated. Audiences used to bring imagination and observation to the theatre. Now they seem spoiled to needing to have every motivation spelled out.
Most great films deserve a more appreciative audience than they get.