Caroline Cook Character Analysis in A Thousand Acres

The youngest of Larry Cook’s daughters, and her father’s favorite. Caroline is the only Cook daughter to go to college and (it’s suggested) the only daughter not to be sexually abused by Larry. Largely as a result, Caroline grows up much closer to Larry than either Rose or Ginny, and after Larry proposes signing away his property to his children, Caroline is the only one who has second thoughts—so that in the end, Larry spitefully cuts her out of the will. Over the course of the novel, Caroline continues to love her father and hate her sisters for, in her view, cheating Larry out of his own money and land. As the novel ends, Caroline is still unaware that her father is a rapist. Caroline corresponds to the character Cordelia in King Lear.

Caroline Cook Quotes in A Thousand Acres

The A Thousand Acres quotes below are all either spoken by Caroline Cook or refer to Caroline Cook. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

).

We’ll stop making allowances tomorrow. This is important. He’s handing over his whole life, don’t you understand that? We have to receive it in the right spirit. And Rose and Pete and even Ty are ready to receive it. Just do it this once. Last time, I promise.

Related Characters: Ginny Cook Smith (speaker), Rose Cook Lewis, Caroline Cook, Laurence Cook, Tyler “Ty” Smith, Pete Lewis

Page Number and Citation: 34

Explanation and Analysis:

“Look at Daddy! He knew he’d treated me unfairly, but that we really felt love for each other. He made amends. We got really close at the end.”
…
“How did he mistreat you?”
“Well, by getting mad and cutting me out of the farm.”

Related Characters: Ginny Cook Smith (speaker), Caroline Cook (speaker), Laurence Cook

Page Number and Citation: 362-363

Explanation and Analysis:

Caroline Cook Quotes in A Thousand Acres

The A Thousand Acres quotes below are all either spoken by Caroline Cook or refer to Caroline Cook. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

).

We’ll stop making allowances tomorrow. This is important. He’s handing over his whole life, don’t you understand that? We have to receive it in the right spirit. And Rose and Pete and even Ty are ready to receive it. Just do it this once. Last time, I promise.

Related Characters: Ginny Cook Smith (speaker), Rose Cook Lewis, Caroline Cook, Laurence Cook, Tyler “Ty” Smith, Pete Lewis

Page Number and Citation: 34

Explanation and Analysis:

“Look at Daddy! He knew he’d treated me unfairly, but that we really felt love for each other. He made amends. We got really close at the end.”
…
“How did he mistreat you?”
“Well, by getting mad and cutting me out of the farm.”

Related Characters: Ginny Cook Smith (speaker), Caroline Cook (speaker), Laurence Cook

Page Number and Citation: 362-363

Explanation and Analysis: