Imagine giving up the chance to go to college to provide for your family. You take a job that pays minimum wage because no major employer will hire you, due to your lack of education. You're just doing it for your family. Or imagine you're a world-famous musician who rarely sees his family because you're always stuck on a tour bus and let your family stay at home to lead as normal a life as possible. These are the real situations and sacrifices of Mr. Ridley, Greg's father, and Lemon Brown, respectively, in the story "Lemon Brown's Treasure". Both men gave up the joys of life to help their children carry on with their lives, proving that sacrifice is inherent in love. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Faced with danger, both Lemon Brown and Greg risk their lives to protect each other. In one instance, Lemon Brown prioritizes Greg's safety over her own, "throwing his body down the stairs at the men who had come to take his treasure" to prevent the crooks from discovering Greg's whereabouts (Myers 176) . At his age, Lemon is fragile and this act of courage could potentially end his life, but that doesn't stop him from protecting Greg. The reason for Lemon's impulsive actions was his fatherly role towards Greg. Lemon tries to protect him because he never had the chance to do the same for his biological son, Jesse. At the same time, Greg was equally protective of Lemon Brown. In one instance, “Greg howled as evenly as he could” (Myers 176). Although Greg feared for his safety, he put himself in danger by distracting the attackers while Lemon Brown hid. The fact that Greg is the child in this improvised “family scenario” indicates that he is the one who should be saved; however, he still tries to protect Lemon. In fact, just as Lemon sees Greg as a son, Greg treats Lemon like a father. Both are motivated by mutual respect to act altruistically, keeping the other's best interests in mind. Ultimately, when trapped in a dangerous situation, both Lemon Brown and Greg go to great lengths to protect each other. In addition to these sacrifices, Greg's father and Lemon Brown also gave up a lot for their children. For example, Greg's father told his son, "I had to leave school when I was 13... that's a year younger than you are now" (Myers 170). Mr. Ridley chose a job over his education to ensure that Greg can have a better life than he had. It is his fatherly love for his son that leads him to act so selflessly. In the case of Lemon Brown, “he used to travel and earn money to feed his wife and Jesse” (Myers 177). Lemon spared her son Jesse from a life in the spotlight by letting him stay at home and continue his studies. Lemon knew that moving Jesse across the country would put his education on hold. So, he gave up the opportunity to see his son grow up, for the sake of Jesse's well-being. Overall, Greg's father and Lemon Brown each sacrificed their own desires for the sake of their children. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Picture this: You've given up your college education to get a job to support your family, but the only job you're eligible for is a minimum wage manual labor assignment. Or you live in luxury as a famous musician, but you are, 19(3), 89-91.