2. In the novel A Painted House, having a painted house signified wealth in the family. The Chandlers lived in an unpainted house and they were poor. Growing up, Luke never payed much attention to the fact that the house wasn’t painted, until Hank Spruill ridiculed him for it. Hank said to him, “You ain’t gonna believe this, boy, but our house got paint on it. White paint…Why don’t you sodbusters paint your house?” (Grisham, pg 74).  This nearly crushed Luke and not long after this event, he discovers a strip of white paint on the back of his house. He shows his mother and before long they discover that Trot Spruill has been painting the house. However, when the flood comes and the Spruills are forced to leave, Luke takes up the job of painting the house. It became a big project for him and he took it very seriously, spending a decent amount of money on several gallons of paint. With the help of the Mexicans and the Latchers, Luke almost finished it, coming up short about a half a gallon from covering the house. His Pappy tells him he will have to return in the winter to finish the job, which means Luke will never forget where he came from. The house holds many of Luke’s memories that he will not soon forget. The house is the only place Luke has ever known and its the place where all his loved ones are. While A Painted House symbolizes wealth in society, it also symbolizes memories and the childhood of Luke Chandler.