is showing us that from early childhood, we must learn to work hard in order to persevere. Most often, our knowledge of self worth and our personal level of pride is determined by what we have earned and not been given. It is only from persevering through hard work efforts, that one can truly sense personal pride.A Painted House does an excellent job in showing the reader that our quests are universal. The book has less to do with cotton picking than one might initially see on first inspection. These three families want something more out of life. They work very hard and have very little to show for it. Each of the subgroups of families are thankful for what they have but strive for more. The differences between the families are strongly evident by their places of origin, their current living arrangements, the food they consume, the color of their skin, and their problems. However, one thing remains constant: be tenacious in life. Mr. Grishams description of these destitute families is complicated with the introduction of the Latcher family. Until their introduction, the reader should have developed a great deal of pity for the Chandler family and the migrant workers. However, the Latchers have many children and even less money than the three groups living on the Chandler farm. Throughout the story, the reader will better appreciate what these farm-dwelling families have when compared to the Latchers - especially when the Latcher home is completely destroyed during a flood. We are reminded of another one of lifes lessens in these passages when no matter how bad we think things are for the Chandler family (and maybe the readers family), things can always be worse in spite of our hard work ethics.Throughout the pages of the book, the writer gives the reader several moments of suspenseful storyline. There is a fight behind the cotton gin that results in the death of a local family member. There is a romantic rendezvous witn...
