Trauma of Incest in Smiley's A Thousand Acres

Abstract

Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres, a contemporary retelling of William Shakespeare's King Lear, presents the state of trauma caused by the incest and the final resistance of perpetrator getting rid of trauma through an outlet of the memory. The main character, Ginny, suffers from trauma due to the incestuous relation with her father. She finally rejects all the limiting systems prevailed in society and goes alone to live on her own. The thesis examines how a victim of trauma caused by the incest, after a prolonged suffering gets relief through the bringing out of memories.