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Luke is one of Tara’s older brothers, but he’s closer in age to her than Tyler and Shawn. After Tony, Richard, Tyler, and Shawn grow into young adulthood and move out of the house, Luke becomes the de facto eldest son, taking on more responsibilities and often working alongside his father in the yard, where he sustains multiple severe injuries. When lighting a piece of flint goes wrong, Luke’s leg catches on fire, resulting in a life-threatening injury in which almost all the skin on his leg is destroyed. Rather than take their son to a hospital, Gene and Faye decide to treat Luke at home using their homemade medicinal salves. The family is forbidden to speak to acquaintances about Luke’s injury and recovery, in fear that CPS or other government agencies might investigate the family for abuse or unsafe working conditions. Luke also sustains a serious cut on his arm, and he is present for Shawn’s life-altering head injury.
Luke is characterized as a son who is always eager to please his father. Gene rules over his family with intimidating authority, often giving and taking away his love on a whim or based on a perceived betrayal. In response to this, Luke attempts to win his father’s approval by doing everything his father asks of him, even if he is underprepared to do the job. Thus, he consistently finds himself in physically dangerous situations. Despite his traumatic injuries, Luke returns to the yard time and time again, turning to humor to make light of his pain. Tara sees Luke as a victim of her father, noting that his lack of higher education made him entirely dependent on his father for money. However, Tara is sure to note that Luke may have a different perspective, and shares that, when it comes to the incident of Luke’s leg catching fire, Luke remembers their father being present, gentle, and caring, while Tara remembers their father being largely absent from the scene. Their differing perspectives serve to humanize Gene and show how each sibling may have perceived their lives through different lenses.
