Gloomy Facets ofPersonalityin Jane Smiley'sA Thousand Acres

Abstract

Jane Smiley'sAThousand Acresattempts to explore the zones of human heart through its major characters Ginny andLarry. Every human being more or less deserves immoral and asocial ideas on the unconscious level and so is the case in Ginny and Larry too in the novel. This very fact isanalyzed delving intothe actions andconversationsof the characters on the basis ofpsychoanalytical perspective in this study.Ginny, the narrator and protagonist of the novel, lives in between two distinct worlds: world of appearance and worldof secrecy. Outwardly, she tries to appear as a responsiblehouse-ladybut inwardly she is crumbled with immoral and asocial ideas and actions such as adultery with Jess, her neighbor, treachery toRose, her own sister etc.Similarly, Larry, a successful farmer with a thousand acresofprosperous land, turns into a neurotic due to his unfulfilleddesire that he couldn't continue abusing his daughters later. What appears outside and what really is differsgreatly among the family members; one can't trust theotherthat ultimately puts the happy family into a crisis.