Gloomy Facets ofPersonalityin Jane Smiley'sA Thousand Acres
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Department of English
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.