As suggested by its status as the novel’s title, “a painted house” is the narrative’s central image, the focal point of the theme of Class Consciousness in Rural Mid-century Arkansas, and one of its most complicated symbols. Luke notes early in the narrative that “paint” is “a sensitive word around the Chandler farm” because his mother has always wanted to paint their house (65), but Pappy and Gran refused on the grounds that paint is a waste of money. For Luke’s mother, having a painted house is a status symbol and an affirmation that she’s living a life in which every choice doesn’t have to be dictated by her class status. For Luke’s grandparents, having an unpainted house not only saves them money but also embraces their perceived status. The fact that the painting of the house is a point of conflict between Luke’s mother and his grandparents suggests that there’s an aspirational rift between these generations: Pappy sees farming as a way of life whereas Kathleen Chandler sees farming as a means to gain the wealth to stop farming.

The Chandler house does start to get painted, but not because of any of the Chandlers.