OUR OBSERVATIONS ON PAIRS OF CHARACTERS IN
A Thousand Acres

--Larry Cook and Caroline.  At first it seemed that their relationship is very close and deep, that they both loved each other a lot.  Reading the novel further on, I started to hesitate and wonder about relations between Caroline and her father.  Caroline's love towards her father was blind: she had an illusion of him, and she could not break it even when Ginny and Rose told her what their father had done.  Caroline was like living in her own beautiful world, although she was characterized as a strong and reserved lady.
     Larry's love towards Caroline was strange.  Actually, I think that he did not truly love Caroline, but it was like guilt over what he had done to his elder daughters.  Of course, he never admitted his deeds.  If a father had loved his daughter, he would have remembered something about that particular daughter.    All he remembered were things connected with Ginny and Rose, which he related to Caroline.   And the weirdest thing is that Caroline did not remember those situations, but still she did not become curious.  
    I came to the conclusion that there was no fatherly love from Larry to Caroline and vice-versa, but they both were looking for some feeling to hold on to.   Larry wanted to get rid of guilt and Caroline had not felt the love of mother, so she thought her father to be "the world" for her; otherwise, she would have lost all parental love. (Katlin)

--Larry Cook and Ginny: the relationship between them, Ginny's blind devotion to her father, her attitude towards him at the beginning of the story and the change in her view of him during the course of the story, including the storm as a jumping point.  Ginny represses all memories of being molested by Larry.   She plays the role of wife to him, of submissive woman, of the servant, when Rose will not and Caroline is gone.  She remains decidedly naive, making him breakfast every morning, taking care of him, playing a spousal role.  Even when confronted with the realities of Larry's treatment of herself and Rose, she is initially oblivious and dumbfounded, having buried these memories long before.  She loves Larry, more than anyone else appears to, but as she is confronted with who he really is, her resentment and hatred toward him seems to run deeper than even Rose, who expresses her anger more outwardly.  Ginny rages quietly.  She is embittered towards Larry and, at the end, towards men in general.  Her relationship with her father spirals to nothing, his insanity bringing complete closure to any sort of parental bond, or spousal bond, for that matter, that they had prior to this.  Larry has forgotten her, forgotten the devotion that she had to him, forgotten the abuse, the sex, the interest he had in her both as a daughter and as an objectified woman. The roles of dominant, powerful, excusable male over the subservient, submissive, weak female are played out between these characters.  Ginny's power and dominance as a strong woman would never be realized or revered in her own surrounding world, not by her father, not by Ty, not by Jess . . .   But to her, that is where her peace lies. (Robert)

--Cal Ericson and Larry Cook liked each other a great deal but had very different views on farming.  Larry Cook disapproved of Cal and his take on/motivation for farming.  Cal had a very lax view on farming.  His farm was less a money-maker than a petting zoo.  Larry hated the idea of not making money.  While Cal Ericson's motivation was to have fun farming, Larry was more serious about it.  While Larry was out progressively farming, Cal was in his house teaching his dogs tricks.  While Larry was making money, Cal was spending quality time with his family.  Larry's farm needed to be just a certain way at just a certain time of year with just certain crops.  Larry, without a mortgage, had mostly profit and made a lot of it.  Cal on a hefty mortgage on even less land making a lot less money was, in Larry's eyes, a disgrace to farming.  Another thing that separated the two men was education.  Because animals were his passion, Cal was a wreck when it came to machines.  With an education much higher than Larry's, Cal still was a dolt in Larry's opinion. (James)

-- Larry Cook and Rose.  Larry Cook was a conqueror.  He didn't mind hurting others in order to accomplish his goals and get what he desired.  In his mind, other people were meant to serve him--mere tools at his disposal.  Larry was king of his land and family; he ruled over both.   His way was the only way; others would have to submit or get out of his way.
   Rose, like her father, had a short temper.  She said and did whatever she wanted, no matter how cutting her words or hurtful her actions.  Feeling powerless at the expense of the father, Rose sought to conquer.  Rose conquered over Ginny by winning Jess.  Rose conquered Pete, the untamable who escaped her by death.    Rose finally conquered her father by protecting her children, owning the farm, and watching her father die.  (Sarah Beth)

--Two similar characters in A Thousand Acres are Larry and Rose.  I think it's one of the reasons (besides the childhood trauma) that Rose resents Larry so much-- she sees herself in Larry's reactions.   Both have quick tempers and don't think before saying hurtful things. Neither Larry nor Rose were effective at compromising because they both only saw things from their own perspective; they were uninterested in other points of view.  I do find it ironic, however, that Smiley gave Rose the name "Rose."  As I recall, "Rose" was also Rose's mother's name, and they are complete opposites.
    Two other similar characters were Ty and Ginny.   Both were somewhat passive, were peacemakers, and tried to avoid conflict.   Unlike Ty, though, Ginny finally got to where she'd had enough of Larry's behavior and (with Rose's help) put her foot down about Larry's conduct. 
     Also, Ginny and Rose's character traits serve to show their similarities and differences (mostly differences).  They show how people react to situations differently as well as their decision-making priorities.  Rose decided by what was right, and Ginny decided by what pacified things (until the end).  (Amanda)

--Rose's and Ginny's relationship is so complex and curious.  I am caught up in wondering if Ginny and Rose were made of the same blood.  Rose had her good qualities: she loved Pammy and Linda.  My curiosity lies in this: was Rose truly evil, and if she was, then did she persuade Ginny to be evil with her at times?  (Perhaps evil was not a theme running through the novel, but I'm sure it played a part.)   I can believe Rose was more susceptible to evil, seeing her resentment toward her father and almost everyone else around her.  She said herself she was a jealous girl from her childhood and through adulthood.  Is jealousy the spawn of evil?  I'm not sure.  Ginny was so easily swayed for most of her life that it is hard for me to believe that she did not adopt some of Rose's views, some of her evil thoughts.  Ultimately, though, Ginny learned to follow her own thoughts. I think this revelation came to her the night Rose got drunk.  At that point, I think, Ginny saw the true Rose--and it scared her!    So, I guess, in the end, Ginny was not influenced, in a life-long way, anyway.  I know, though, that Rose's attitude pulled Ginny to be the opposite of her.   Ginny found her own life,  and as fate would have it, she found resolution in it all.  Rose, for me, seemed evil and, fittingly, her final months were spent on a farm she had always tried to resist.  For me, she ended her life living part of Larry's, the man she resented and hated and loathed all her life. The irony is wonderful! (Sara)

--Both Ginny and Rose try to forget their father's abuse by being promiscuous.  If they could have sex with someone else maybe they could feel something.  Ginny didn't like sex: it simply had to be done; on the other hand, Rose seemed to have sought pleasure out of sex. The more men she had the better she felt.  
Who are you?  On one hand Ginny thought she was an average woman.  She got married at an early age.   She had everything a farm girl could want, and she believed she was happy. Yet she had  erased her past abuse.  Later on, she discovers that it was real that she was sexually abused. (Ale)

--Ginny and Rose.  Ginny is the narrator of this story, and it is nice to read from her perspective, because, even though she is close-minded, she is a very refreshing character. Her relationship with Rose, in part, exerts one of the novel's many themes: it's important to keep up appearances. These two sisters, although they had their differences, fight the ageless battle to appear to be the perfect everything. They strive to look like the perfect daughters, wives, and citizens--when they were clearly not perfect at any of these tasks. Ginny is the oldest sister, and she likes to make it seem as though she has a lot of influence over Rose when clearly she doesn't.   In fact Rose has the bigger influence because she has the hardest heart. Rose is able to manipulate any situation to include Ginny, and somehow managed to make it look good in front of the neighbors.  I think near the end Ginny grows  tired of the game and decides to get out. She can not keep pretending to be the perfect farm wife when she is clearly unhappy with her life.  (Sophia)

--In A Thousand Acres, the two characters who I think belong to the land the most are Ginny and Rose. They want to stay but they don't.   It feels like the land, their father and their memories have tied them to the land irrevocably.  Caroline doesn't want the land and will defy her father; the land has no hold over her though you would think her lack of memories of the horror of abuse would make the prospect of staying there more likely than with Ginny or especially Rose.    I think Ginny and Rose want out of the nightmare but that the land is holding them down, drowning them in their experience and the monotony of their life. (Rebecca)

--Ginny and Rose.  "Who or what owns you?"   When Larry first proposes his idea of splitting up the farm, Caroline immediately rejects the idea.  Ginny and Rose are all for it.  Ginny is not ready to face the reality of what her father has done to her in the past.  Caroline remains herself by making a life for herself in Des Moines.  As we have seen in other versions of Lear, Ginny is in denial over her past and the effect that it has had on her, and Caroline won't give in to that and be owned by Larry.  (Rena)

--Ginny and Pete. Ginny seems to be afraid of herself, her own feelings and her own reactions to events, any event actually, whether it may possibly be in her control to affect it or not. Pete is an outsider. He is someone who does possess an innate ability to do other things, to express himself in other ways, and has in fact experience in doing so.  He, like Ginny, had decided to "settle" for what was offered instead of taking the responsibility of the struggle, internally as well as externally, that would be required to face their fears and uncertainties and build a different and perhaps radically different existence. 
     Pete let Rose guide his path, though his dissatisfaction with his choice would openly manifest itself in drinking and abusive behavior.  Ginny would "squash" her fear and dissatisfaction into an internal dialogue designed, I think, to make the passage of time tolerable.  She also let Rose guide her, or at least be her tangible excuse for going the way she went.  Both Pete and Ginny came to realize how inadequate their choices were.  Pete, in his fashion, got out, as did Ginny in her respective fashion, which was to run away. 
     That Ginny recognized Pete's other attributes and came to see them as assets in life, and not deficiencies of farming, she perhaps was toying with the idea that she herself was really a captive in a dysfunctional and life-constraining world, though she never had the intestinal fortitude or mental durability to confront that openly.
      I think the two were very similar at the core, but neither could allow themselves to act or express this openly and freely, much to their eventual detriment.  Both were also totally smothered by Larry, though one was blood and one was an "outsider." (Stephen)

--Ginny and Caroline are both very similar to their father, but in much different aspects.  Ginny, like her father, is satisfied to be a farmer.  Ginny and her father are also both set in their ways.   Both can deal with change, but I don't think either one desires change.   Caroline, on the other hand, embraces change.  Caroline, like her father, possesses a sense of authority. By leaving home we see a freer spirit in Caroline compared to her sister's; however, Mr.Cook is also free as we can see in the beginning of the novel where he all of a sudden leaves home to take a drive.   Caroline has also accomplished her goal of becoming a lawyer much like Larry met his goal of creating a great farm. The two sisters are very different, but both mirror interesting traits of their father. (Tim)

--Caroline Cook with Pam or Linda Lewis.
A theme of social evolution.  Caroline moved on with her life away from the farmwife style, and away from the cycle that the Ladies Cook were used to.  Pam and Linda were the youngest generation, and they relate to Caroline in the sense that their lives have a wider sense of society.  They were still really close to all the family problems, but Caroline was consciously away from them, and the girls unconsciously away. There are other things in life to worry about. (Juan)

--Jess and Ginny presumed to have created an Eden-like relationship centered around their courting and the dump.   I thought that the way Jesse convinced Ginny of nitrates being the cause of her miscarriage was an example of the paradoxical effect Jesse had on Ginny and the whole Cook family.  While his intentions seemed pure and organic, he was responsible for much of the pollution in the story.  The irony of his environmental ethics juxtaposed with his moral ethics (i.e. infidelity), going back to the Eden metaphor, was not unlike the serpent.   Although his deception of Ginny (along with Rose's badgering) was fundamentally part of bringing her out into the light.  At first I thought that Ginny and Jesse's relationship was going to be transferred into Danielle Steele before my eyes,l but it managed to be underscored and pivotal at the same time. (Bretlan)

--In A Thousand Acres, Marv Carson and Jess Clark may at first appear to be different types of characters.  Marv is all about business and is not romantic like Jess.  Jess appears to be more graceful, as Ginny describes him.  Jess seems more concerned with humanity than Marv,  who is a banker.  However, Jess and Marv actually have many similarities, which do not make them respectable characters.  They both manipulate and control other characters. They pretend to have good intentions, but they are really selfish.  Jess makes Ginny believe that he loves her.  Ginny makes herself so vulnerable to Jess that she never accepts his reason for her miscarriages.  Ginny doesn't realize Jess's unloyalty until she realizes he is having an affair with Rose.  Jess also manipulates Rose by having her grow the farm his way.   He even controls how she eats.  Jess tries to control Harold by having him grow an organic farm. Similar to Jess, Marv Carson also manipulates people.   He convinces Harold to a tractor that creates a debt.   He also tells Larry to divide the farm.   People trust Marv and Jess, but they  should be the last people to be trusted. They are both crazy about their diets, too. They also do not take responsibility for their actions.  Jess runs from his past, and Marv never takes the blame for giving poor advice.  In the end of the story, Jess and Marv are the only characters who are not ruined by the events.  Jess leaves and forms a new life for himself, and Marv gets to collect the farm money.   They use others to benefit themselves and never are punished for their actions.   Though Jess and Marv are not the main characters, they are still vital to the plot.   Without Jess's arrival, Ginny may not have lost her relationship with Rose, and Pete could still be alive.  Without Marv, Larry may never had divided the land and the entire story would not have happened. They both have advantages for not becoming attached to other characters because they do not take on responsibility, but the major disadvantage is that they both cannot be honest, loyal characters, who form close loving relationships with anyone. (Megan)

--Ty and Jess both want a farm , and both abuse the position they find themselves in in order to get what they want. Ty appears to be a good and loyal worker on the farm, but it also seems that he knows that if he doesn't make waves with Larry, then he'll get what he wants: hogs. Ty is constantly telling Ginny to let things go and calm down because things will get better if she just shuts up.
     Jess, on the other hand, is a sleaze ball who goes to work on his father's farm by trying to win back his father's approval so he can have a stake in the farm.  Perhaps his seduction of Ginny and Rose are more calculated in order to edge himself in to get part of the 1000 acres rather than purely driven by lust.  (Did Jess try to break up marriages?  Did he have a hand in driving Peter crazy?)
     Both men know who has access to the farm and both act to get it. Ty works in a covert, unnoticed way; Jess works overtly. (Emily)

--Ty vs. Albany.  Tyler Smith in A Thousand Acres most closely correlates in terms of King Lear with the Duke of Albany.  However, I believe that these two characters do not closely correlate at all.  In King Lear, Albany does not know quite what to do with himself, and so he stays mostly out of the conflict circulating around him because he does not know enough of who he is or who he should side with.  In Ty's case, though, it is not that Ty does not know who to side with or what to do with himself, but it is quite the opposite. Ty knows exactly what he wants (a pig  farm) and so he stays mostly out of the surrounding conflict because he is so in pursuit of his own desires and the only things which bring him in contact with the general conflict are when he does things for his own self motivation that affect the conflict surrounding him. Ty, unlike Albany, does not care about making careful judgment of others and who or who not to side with. Ty is simply out to help himself. The fact that Ty behaves this way draws more on the themes of "what are you" and how women are treated (Ty does not pay much attention to Ginny) that are present in A Thousand Acres.  Likewise, Albany's behavior is distancing himself because he does not know who he is or who he should side with (until his self-discovery at the end of King Lear) build on King Lear's general theme of "Who are you?" (Beth)

English 2100H is taught by Dr. Richard Nordquist.
Armstrong Atlantic State University
University Hall 297D
11935 Abercorn Street
Savannah, Georgia 31419
912-921-5991
e-mail: nordquist@mail.com           

 
06 October 2002

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