Women of A Thousand Acres essays

Women of A Thousand Acres essays At the start of Jane Smileys A Thousand Acres, loyal daughters and sons are bound to their grateful fathers with an indestructible shackle of affiliation. Larry Cook and Harold Clark are two confident patriarchs, who feel securely in possession of their children and their land. As the novel progresses, A Thousand Acres narrates the corrupt patriarchal society with many hidden secrets. In the view of Larry Cook, he believes that women are similar to his controllable land. In this patriarchal culture, the values privileged in women include silence and subordination. At the beginning of his marriage, Larry Cook begins his obsession. According to his view, women are only necessary for cooking and cleaning. Furthermore, Larry becomes fanatical with controlling his daughters. Eventually, his control turns into molestation towards his daughters. Although his daughters become adults with their own family, his control continues to exist. On a daily basis, Rose and Ginny continue to cook and clean after Larry. Neither of the daughters wishes to continue, but they feel obligated. "My job remained what it had always been-to give him what he asked of me, and if he showed discontent, to try and find out what would please him" (Smiley 115). Obviously, Ginny feels obligated to take care of Larry. Ginny and Rose not only feel obligated, but they fear him. Due to the sexual molestation that Larry has done to them at a very young age. Years later, Rose confronts Ginny the truth regarding their father. I dont know what to say...I mean, the strangest thing is h ow idiotic I feel, how naive and foolish. God, I am so sorry he did that (Smiley 192). Although many years past, the memories are hard to erase, and it severely affected their life. Furthermore, Ginny and Rose are constantly forced into uncomfortable situations. Due to their mothers early death, Ginny and Rose are forced to take their mothers place in the hous...