In the novel, “A Painted House,” having a painted house showed that you had money. Luke Chandler has grown up in an unpainted house, and it doesn’t really matter to him, but his mother grew up in a painted house and really wants to have their old farm house enhanced with a can of paint. This causes much tension between the mother and Pappy. They both have different opinions on whether it is important to paint your house or not. To Luke’s mother a painted house symbolizes more than just money and wealth, it symbolizes freedom.  She yearns to be free from farming and to move to a big city and do something besides pick cotton everyday. † Jesus saves † Later in the story, Hank Spruill makes fun of Luke for living in an unpainted house. He claims that his family is better than the Chandlers because their house is painted with white paint.  This sparks anger in Trot, so he goes to town and gets Tally to buy him paint, he then begins to paint the Chandler’s house. This is significant because his action ignites something bigger. After the Spruills leave and Luke takes over painting the house, his parents tell him that they are moving to the city. The painting of the house actually gives them freedom, but the fact that it is not completely painted also leaves room for Luke to remember where he came from. This is because he promises to come back and finish it, so he is forced to remember that he was born a farmer’s boy.