65 pages 2 hours read

Jane Smiley

A Thousand Acres

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1991

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Essay Topics

1.

Review the definition of a Shakespearean tragedy. In what ways does A Thousand Acres fit that definition? In what ways does it deviate from it?

2.

Research the 1980s Farm Crisis. How does the novel foreshadow the impending crisis? What literary techniques does Smiley use to create a sense of the looming threat?

3.

Is Ginny an unreliable narrator? Support your argument with specific textual evidence. If she is, how does that change the interpretation of the story?