The painted House
...is first sighting of a female’s flesh by none other Tally herself. The idea that Luke takes quite a fancy to Tally and craves to see more of her body afterwards ultimately takes away his innocence, placing him in an uncharted and matured territory in which he is utterly unprepared for. Moreover, the gradual loss of Luke’s young childhood and his subconscious need to “having seen most of [Tally] privates…now [wants] to see everything”(pg 99) introduces him into a world of adulthood, an uncertain world engulfed in treachery and betrayal. Furthermore, ushered by Tally, Luke thoughtlessly follows her and then witnesses the birth of Libby’s baby, and when “Libby [screams] in agony, [Luke] nearly [jumps] out of [his] skin.”(pg 128). This incident pushes Luke to wonder more about the trials of life, and the uncertain episodes that occur and handled by adults themselves each day. Nevertheless, in the midst of all these circumstances, nothing could make Luke want to question life more than the brutal thrashing that Hank gives Jerry Sisco one Sunday, killing Jerry instantly. In a way, Jerry Siscos’s death fuels Luke into questioning the fundamentals of his church and life, and the folly of his Sunday school teacher to make them “hold hands and close [their] eyes while she [lifts] her voice to heaven…and [asks] God to receive poor Jerry into heaven…”( pg 66). Luke understands that people like the Siscos have never been near a church, and is therefore baffled at the knowledge that “Miss Cooley [prays] as if Jerry were with God at that very moment.” (pg 67). In addition, Luke’s final witness of the unfairness and savage of life is through the death of Hank committed by Cowboy himself. Hank’s demise helps Luke realize that humans can be very vicious and brutal to one another, thus making the “weight of [Cowboy’s] switchblade on [Luke’s] forehead [grows] heavier.” ( pg 214) Taken place in rural Arkansas in 1952, Grisham’s depiction of this harvest setting against a backdrop of sweltering heat and torrential rains creates an unpleasant and somewhat poisonous atmosphere in the small community, as the ‘hill people” and “the Mexicans” take up residence on the farm, st...