Jane Smiley's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, "A Thousand Acres," takes on many provocative themes as a late twentieth century version of Shakespeare's King Lear set in rural Iowa. Instead of dividing up England, Smiley's King Lear, an elderly farmer named Larry set in his ways and handicapped by his own pride, decides to divide up his farm to his three daughters. This land that Larry wishes to bequeath onto his daughters, including our narrator, Ginny, is seen as a gift by nearly everyone in Zebulon County, but in actuality, the land is poisoning everyone on it. This family is obsessed with its own convoluted dynamics and the finances and profits of the farm. From this, an intricate complex between pride and distress emerges. These themes are all addressed in chapter 4, which is the chapter that I explained in detail to my friend, Kyle. I chose Kyle in part because he grew up without a father for much of his life. His understanding of a daughter who's father was too intrusive was fascinating. My attempt to teach "A Thousand Acres" through chapter 4 provided me with a new understanding of how the family dynamics, the obsessions with materialistic values, and the distress that holds Ginny hostage shapes this novel.
Zebulon County is infatuated by the material worth of their farms, which prompts Larry to divide his farm up and allows important matters to be ignored. Chapter 4 begins at Harold's farm, a rival of Larry's. Harold is showing off his brand new tractor, which upsets Larry, "not that Harold had pulled ahead of my father in machinery competition, but that he hadn't divulged how he'd financed the purchase" (17). Harold's son who has been away for 13 years is briefly mentioned: "At the pig roast, Jess Clark and the new machinery were Harold's twin exhibits" (18). I used these two quotations to explain to Kyle the mindset of these farmers. On the farm, a new tractor is more important than a returned son, and the finances are what stands out to Larry.