Luke matures greatly once he realizes how hard life really is.  From keeping secrets that he believes will save others, to the hard money times his family faces, Luke learns many things.  After he starts the project of painting the house, Luke becomes so overwhelmed with the idea of having a painted house.  The project seems to consume his entire thoughts.  He does not matter how much effort it takes as long as he gets the paint he needs.  However seeing his father struggle with the bills, and the need to move up north to provide a better life for the entire family causes him to do an entire 180.  Luke says, “I suddenly felt rotten because I had kept the painting alive after Trot had gone.  I had pushed the project along, and in doing so had forced my father to spend what little money he had” (Grisham 430).  Luke finally realizes how real the struggle actually was. Once overwhelmed with guilt, Luke began to pay for the paint with his own picking money.  Luke’s decision to pay for the paint himself showed great levels of maturity because he finally understood the fact of growing up and the expectations that come with it.