This work deals with concepts of ownership in terms of land in the novel "A Thousand Acres" written by Jane Smiley. The novel was written in 1991 and was rewarded a Pulitzer Prize. Jane Smiley rewrote the Shakespearean play King Lear by narrating the story from the eldest daughter’s point of view. However, A Thousand Acres is not only a rewriting of Shakespeare’s work, it also comments on the social and agricultural circumstances in the United States of the 1960s and 70s, where the novel is set. Her critique in this novel points towards industrialised farming and the exploitation of land and its resources.
The aim of the paper ist to find out how agriculture and farming are represented in "A Thousand Acres". How does Jane Smiley describe the results of industrialised farming? Is there any return? How do people cope with agribusiness and its consequences? What is the structure of the society that lives for agribusiness? In the course of answering these questions I will try to draw relating problems between Smiley's "A Thousand Acres" and Shakespeare's "King Lear" and will try to point out the differences between the novel and the play in matters pertaining to concepts of land-ownership.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THE PLOT
3. POLITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES OR: THE SETTING
4. MEANING OF OWNERSHIP IN A THOUSAND ACRES
5. NATURE
5.1. THE TILES
6. NATURE VERSUS CULTURE
7. FAMILY
8. COMMUNITY
9. CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines how concepts of land ownership are represented in Jane Smiley's novel A Thousand Acres, exploring the intersection of agricultural industrialization, patriarchal power structures, and the environmental consequences of such ideologies.
- The influence of industrial farming practices on land value and societal structure.
- The relationship between land ownership and the subjugation of nature.
- Patriarchal dynamics within the family and the treatment of women as property.
- The interlinking of personal, political, social, and ecological exploitation.
- Comparison of Smiley’s narrative with Shakespeare’s King Lear regarding power and instability.
Excerpt from the Book
5. NATURE
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and Replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
In this bible passage God has just created man and gives him the order to cultivate and the right to dominate the earth. (I intentionally wrote “man” and “him”, because this is the way in which the bible passage has obviously been understood by Larry and his male colleagues, but this will be discussed later.) Dominion over the earth, the former wet soil, is Larry’s highest goal. According to Ginny, he dislikes the wilderness of nature. “Daddy’s not much for untamed nature. You know, he’s deadly afraid of wasps and hornets. It’s a real phobia with him.” Larry thinks of his ancestors’ land with distaste. The swampy ground had been a place for mosquitoes and snakes and other little creatures. For this reason he tries to “tame” every single bit of his land. He uses chemicals to kill disturbing animals which could damage the crops. In order to get more ground for planting more corn he ploughs the old pond over, which Ginny and Rose had always gone swimming in. “The pond, an ancient pothole that predated the farm, was impressively large to us, […] Not long before the death of our mother, Daddy drained the pond and took out the trees and stumps around it so he could work that field more efficiently.”
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: The author introduces the novel as a modern rewriting of King Lear, setting the focus on industrial farming and the exploitation of natural resources in the American Midwest.
2. THE PLOT: This section provides an outline of the novel, focusing on Larry Cook's decision to divide his land and the subsequent breakdown of the family due to hidden secrets and abuse.
3. POLITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES OR: THE SETTING: The chapter explores the historical and economic context of the 1970s, highlighting how American agricultural policy incentivized industrial-scale farming and chemical use.
4. MEANING OF OWNERSHIP IN A THOUSAND ACRES: This chapter analyzes how land accumulation and financial success dictate identity and social standing within the farming community.
5. NATURE: The author discusses the patriarchal desire to dominate and "tame" nature, viewing it as something to be subdued for maximum production.
5.1. THE TILES: This sub-chapter examines the symbolic use of drainage tiles to sanitize and commodify the land, reflecting a sterile view of nature.
6. NATURE VERSUS CULTURE: The discussion explores how culture is gendered as masculine, while nature is feminized and subjected to exploitation.
7. FAMILY: This section analyzes how the patriarchal structure treats daughters and wives as property and economic "currency" to secure and consolidate landholdings.
8. COMMUNITY: The author examines the shift from rural community cooperation to an individualistic, capitalist ethos where neighbors view each other through the lens of competition.
9. CONCLUSION: The final chapter summarizes the novel’s critique of industrial farming and warns that the exploitation of land inevitably leads to the destruction of social and personal lives.
Keywords
A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley, King Lear, Industrial Farming, Land Ownership, Patriarchy, Environment, Agribusiness, Feminism, Exploitation, Nature versus Culture, Domestic Abuse, American Midwest, Capitalism, Sustainability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper explores the concepts of land ownership and their implications for the environment, family, and society as depicted in Jane Smiley’s novel A Thousand Acres.
What are the central themes discussed?
The central themes include the critique of industrial farming, patriarchal power dynamics, the exploitation of both women and nature, and the connection between economic status and identity.
What is the main research question?
The study investigates how agriculture and farming are represented in the novel, specifically looking at the consequences of industrialization on the land, family structures, and individual characters.
Which scientific methodology is used?
The paper employs a literary analysis approach, connecting the novel to Shakespeare’s King Lear, mythological references like Demeter, and socio-historical analysis of 1970s American agricultural policies.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section covers the plot of the novel, the political and economic setting, the meaning of property, the relationship between nature and culture, family dynamics, and the erosion of community.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include industrial farming, property, patriarchy, exploitation, nature, and the specific literary context of the novel's adaptation of King Lear.
How does the author connect the land to the female characters?
The author argues that there is a parallel between the abuse of the land through chemicals and over-farming and the sexual and psychological abuse of the daughters in the Cook family, viewing both as victims of male domination.
What is the significance of the "tiles" mentioned in the text?
The tiles represent the human attempt to sanitize and control the environment, acting as both a physical mechanism to drain the land and a symbol of economic stability that creates a sterile, unnatural landscape.
- Quote paper
- Annegret Rehse (Author), 2005, The meanings of property in terms of land in "A Thousand Acres" by Jane Smileys, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/84573
