After reading Jane Smiley’s novel, ” A Thousand Acres” and reviewing Shakespeare’s play, “King Lear,” I can see how this novel is considered a revision of the play. There are many similarities that makes this novel equal to the play, but it does have it’s own differences to stand out as an original novel. Shakespeare’s “King Lear” has five Acts, and Smiley’s “A Thousand Acres” are split in five books within the novel. “King Lear” has three daughters: Gonerill, Regan, and Cordelia which he desires to split his kingdom amongst them. Lawrence Cook in “A Thousand Acres” is the father of: Rose, Caroline, and Virginia (Ginny), who desire to divide the one thousand acres of farmland amongst his daughters. King Lear divided his kingdom based on how much his daughters love him. But, Lawrence “Larry” Cook divided his lands based on a hog operation idea. King Lear disinherits and banishes his favorite daughter, Cordelia, because of her limitations on love for him. Similarly, Lawrence Cook did not allow Caroline to participate in the signing over the property, because of her disapproval of the idea. Both favorite daughters from the play and the novel moved away from the dreary situation as an impartial individual against any future problems.
I feel that the play is advocating a father and daughter relationship as something innocent and pure. However, in Jane Smiley’s novel, I see that the father and daughter relationship is more disgusted and disturbing for the women. In “A Thousand Acres,” I see that Rose and Ginny have a lot of sexual, mental, and physical issues surrounding the molestation or rape cause by their father during their childhood. In Act 1, in “King Lear,” I see that Regan and Gonerill are quick to reveal their love for their father in the beginning, but start to resents his presence at the end of Act 1. Another similarity is that both fathers cursed their daughters because of ingratitude. In Act 2, King Lear calls his two daughters ‘unnatural hags’ and promises revenge. Also, in Act 1, King Lear curses his daughter Goneril to either become sterile or have an evil child. Larry in “A Thousand Acres” also curses his daughters: “How can you treat your father like this? I flattered you when I called you a bitch! What do you want to reduce me to? I’ll stop this building! I’ll get the land back! I’ll throw you whores off this place. You’ll learn what it means to treat your father like this. I curse you! You’ll never have children, Ginny, you haven’t got a hope. And your children are going to laugh when you die!” (Smiley 183)
Even though both fathers meant what they said, they failed miserable at the end of the play or novel in getting their land back. Larry Cook dies from a heart attack in front of Caroline, and King Lear dies in front of Cordelia. But still, the fathers are the victors because the land is lost from the daughters forever. We see that when it comes to love, it is in jeopardy from greed, hate and lack of forgiveness.
