Greg Ridley's The Treasure Of Lemon Brown

Rain poured down onto the soaked sidewalks as flashes of lightning danced across the dark, dreary sky. Greg Ridley sought refuge from the rain in an abandoned tenement. The thunder rumbled in the background as his father’s long lecture replayed in his mind. Entering the closest room across the hall, the thirteen year old boy relaxed on a tattered, creaky couch near the window and fixated on the blinking neon lights of the bodega. A scraping noise diverted his attention and to his surprise, a mysterious figure emerged from the corner of the musty room. Set in Harlem, New York, The Treasure of Lemon Brown by Walter Dean Myers presented different views about the meaning of a treasure. With the help of a wise newfound friend, Greg soon learned

that treasures are not always physical objects, but can be the valuable memories and qualities a person cherishes and wishes to pass on to others.
Not understanding the true meaning of a treasure, Greg did not appreciate the gift his father was attempting to share with him.

After receiving a letter from the principal about Greg’s low math grade, Greg refused to heed his father’s advice and listen to his tireless lectures. “His father’s voice came to him again…lecturing endlessly about his poor efforts in math. ‘I had to leave school when I was thirteen,’ his father had said…” (-). Sharing his childhood experiences was his father’s way of encouraging him to improve his math grade. Although he was not able to complete his own schooling, he hoped Greg would value his education and not just focus on the basketball team. Greg failed to realize that his father was lecturing him in love and wanted him to appreciate the opportunities he had never received. “His father had been a postal worker for all Greg’s life, and was proud of it, often telling Greg how hard he had worked to pass the test. Greg had heard the story too many times to be interested now” (-). Greg’s father was reminding his son of his accomplishments, in hopes that he would be inspired to work hard and remain determined in all things, not only at school. As a proud father, he hoped to pass on the honor and dignity of his

family.
Convinced that only physical objects are valuable, Greg was surprised to find that Lemon Brown, a man without a home or money, had a treasure.

“‘What you mean, if I have one,” Lemon Brown said. “Every man got a treasure. You don’t know that, you must be a fool!”’ (-). To this man, treasures were the precious memories that reminded him of the past and his family. Unlike gold coins and dollar bills, he believed that memories did not perish and could never be separated from him. While Lemon Brown described his former life as a Blues singer and harmonica player in the South to Greg, he decided to reveal his treasure, carefully concealed in rags. “Greg looked at the old man, saw the distant look in his eye, then turned to the clippings…All of the clippings were reviews of shows Lemon Brown had been in more than fifty years ago. Greg looked at the harmonica” (-). Despite the newspaper articles and harmonica’s poor condition, Lemon Brown continued to hold on to these objects dearly because it symbolized the special relationship he had shared with his deceased son Jesse. Lemon Brown concluded his story by asking Greg, “What else a man got ‘cepting what he can pass onto his son or daughter” (-). This wise man was not able to pass on money to Jesse, but he completed his duty as a father when sharing his successes and important memories with his

son.
As the rain came to a halt, Greg bade his final goodbyes to his newfound friend. “Lemon Brown would be OK, Greg thought, with his memories and his treasure” (-). Although Lemon Brown did not own much, he was able to find something he could hold onto forever- the memories that connected him to his past and reminded him of where he came from. Having a completely new understanding of the meaning of a treasure, Greg recalled the story and accomplishments of his father, which he had never been interested in. “Greg pushed the button over the bell marked Ridley, thought of the lecture he knew his father would give him, and smiled (-). With the help of Lemon Brown’s wise words, this thirteen-year old boy finally gained an appreciation for his father’s stories and advice. The countless lectures Greg had listened to were expressions of his love and parts of the treasure his father was bestowing to him.
While some consider treasures as material objects, others perceive them as the stories of the past that define one’s character. A treasure’s owner only appreciates its real worth and has the power to share it with others. In the selection The Treasure of Lemon Brown, Greg learned to appreciate his father’s lessons about hard work and honor as well as value their relationship. Although memories may not be worth any money, these treasures, which never perish, allow a person to encourage, support and pass on important moral values to others.