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Book 5, Chapter 40
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A Thousand Acres, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
King Lear and Good vs. Evil
Women, Sexual Abuse, and Fertility
Inheritance, Land, and Memory
Revenge
Appearance vs. Reality
Summary
Analysis
After the verdict, Rose and Ginny pursue their farming ventures: they have no other choice, since they’re deep in debt. Ginny and Ty are unsure how to feel about their victory: they become increasingly quiet and distant. One evening, Ginny tells Ty that they should buy a new range for their property, but Ty disagrees—it’s not the right time. Ginny also suggests that they move to Larry’s house, an idea that Ty dismisses at once. Ginny insists that the house is her property now—she should have the right to live there and “show off.”
Rose and Ginny, Smiley suggests, are “imprisoned” by their own property. They’ve talked about escaping to the city to be waitresses, but now they feel they’ll live on the land for the rest of their lives, inheriting their father’s wealth but also the memories of his abuse and influence. On the farmland, Ginny and Rose’s behavior becomes more arrogant and stubborn: they’re turning into their own father (showing off, refusing to budge).
Themes
Ginny asks Ty for 1000 dollars, and Ty gives it to her; he’s just collected rent money on the family property. Ginny takes the money and silently walks outside, gets into her car, and drives away. As she does so, Ty cries, “I gave my life to this place!” and Ginny replies, “Now it’s yours.” She drives all the way to Saint Paul, where she checks into the YMCA.
Surprisingly, Ginny makes a final bid for freedom here. She can’t stand the thought of living on her father’s old property and, perhaps, becoming like her own father in her greed and bitterness. As a result, she abandons Ty and goes to the city. Ty’s parting words to her are ironic, since Ginny, far more than Ty, has devoted herself to the farmland; it’s in her blood. And it’s precisely because Ginny has devoted her life to the farmland that she feels she needs to leave it forever; she needs to get out before it’s too late.
Themes
