Linden Hills and the Struggles That Come with I
There are three ways Luther Nedeed is simultaneously a positive and negative role model for young men who represent the ages of Willie and Lester. First, Luther Nedeed believes in the importance of family but while doing so, he destroys many people, especially his wife and son. This is important because it shows that people can feel a certain way, but in the end, actions speak louder than words. Second, Luther Nedeed inspires hope and shows that the American dream is possible but while achieving this dream, it causes some people to sell themselves out.
This is significant because it shows that if the prize to achieve the dream is the loss of one’s soul or compromise of one’s standards, the price is too high to pay. Third, Nedeed wants to preserve the integrity and value of Linden Hills but the power he holds goes to his head and he begins to care more about himself than others. This is relevant because life holds the most meaning and opportunity for personal satisfaction in the connections people make with one another and without those, the missing human element will destroy the individuals that choose to turn their backs on society, and therefore, humanity itself.
Luther Nedeed believes in the importance of family but while doing so, he destroys many people, especially his wife and son. Luther shows us that he believes in this because he is upholding the Nedeed tradition of working to take care of Linden Hills and creating offspring to take over for him when he passes away. Luther also shows us his belief in family when he thinks about how lonely he is on Christmas and wishes his wife was there with him enjoying the holiday and everything that comes with it.
This makes Luther a positive role model because young men who represent the ages of Willie and Lester need to know that family is important. Family will always be there for you, and if you don’t keep them around, you’re going to face some difficult situations later in life without much help. Even though Luther believes family is important, he contradicts himself by destroying people, especially his wife and son. When his son was born, he was light-skinned so he banished him and his wife into the basement where his son would die of starvation.
He also ruined Laurel Dumont after her husband left her by telling her that her lease was no longer valid and she had to leave. As a result, Laurel commits suicide by jumping into an empty swimming pool. This is the negative side of this coin. Young men such as Willie and Lester do not need to see people ruining other people’s lives. They need to realize that what they say and preach should be how they act. Unfortunately, Luther fails to do that. Luther Nedeed inspires hope and shows that the American dream is possible.
Linden Hills is an affluent black community where many people strive to live because of its fame and what it immediately does to your status once you move in. The Nedeed family started from scratch, one of them with just a cardboard suitcase and a dream, another one who poured cement for numerous foundations, and another who gambled every dime to keep the community afloat during the Depression. Young men who represent the ages of Wilie and Lester need to know that if you work hard enough, the American dream is achievable.
It shows them that you must work hard and if you work hard enough, your opportunity may come one day. However, the American dream will cause some people to sell themselves out. By creating Linden Hills and maintaining it, Luther Nedeed has created monsters in the people who will do anything and everything they can to rise to fame and live in Linden Hills. For example, Lester’s sister, who idolizes Eleanor Roosevelt and Diane Ross, and who had enrolled in black history classes in college, now employs bleaching cream and hair relaxer.
Her dream is to have a good marriage in Linden Hills. Maxwell Smith, who is a high-ranking executive at General Motors, has achieved perfect physical control of himself and the environment around him. He says that he spends every waking moment trying to be no color at all. This makes Luther a negative role model because people are foregoing their moral standards and values. They are giving everything up to gain that status and young men such as Willie and Lester need to know that the price for that is too high to pay.
Luther Nedeed wants to preserve the integrity and value of Linden Hills. He tries to preserve the integrity by writing leases that are good for one thousand years and a day, which will preserve the family tradition for a long time. He tries to protect his wealth and inheritance by working to make Linden Hills better and by making sure that a lease can only be passed down to one’s children or sold to another black family. This is important for young men who represent the age of Willie and Lester to see because it shows one’s loyalty and sense of pride to something.
In this case, for Luther, it’s Linden Hills. For someone else, it may be their child, their house, their car, or anything else that they hold true to their heart and love. People need to be loyal to certain things in life and must do everything they can to preserve traditions and values. However, the negative side of Luther comes out becausehis power goes to head and he begins to care more about himself than others. For example, he doesn’t care what type of wife he marries and has a child with.
He selects one who he feels will produce a good offspring, bears a child with her, and then has no sexual contact with her thereafter. He also opposes a low-income housing project planned for Putney Wayne, which is a neighboring black ghetto and proposes to join forces with the racist Wayne County Citizens Alliance so property values would not decline. Although this would help black people, Luther is against it because all he cares about is himself and what he loves.
People such as Willie and Lester need to recognize this and know that you have to balance what you love and your feelings for others and society. You cannot turn your back on society and mankind because all you care about is yourself and your future. Those who represent the ages of Willie and Lester need to realize that life holds the most meaning and opportunity for personal satisfaction in the connections people make with one another and without those, the missing human element will destroy the individuals that choose to turn their backs on society, and therefore, humanity itself.
Luther’s actions eventually did come back to haunt him in the end, specifically his decision to banish his wife and son into the basement. Willa eventually comes up due to an accidental unlocking of the basement door bolt and when she does, a struggle ensues and the house along with everything and everyone inside of it burns to death. All of these actions and decisions show that there are different ways Luther Nedeed is simultaneously a positive and negative role model for young men who represent the ages of Willie and Lester.
First, Luther Nedeed believes in the importance of family but while doing so, he destroys many people, especially his wife and son. This is important because it shows that people can feel a certain way, but in the end, actions speak louder than words. Second, Luther Nedeed inspires hope and shows that the American dream is possible but while achieving this dream, it causes some people to sell themselves out. This is significant because it shows that if the prize to achieve the dream is the loss of one’s soul or compromise of one’s standards, the price is too high to pay.
Third, Nedeed wants to preserve the integrity and value of Linden Hills but the power he holds goes to his head and he begins to care more about himself than others. This is relevant because life holds the most meaning and opportunity for personal satisfaction in the connections people make with one another and without those, the missing human element will destroy the individuals that choose to turn their backs on society, and therefore, humanity itself.
