Rose’s Breast Cancer in Jane Smileys A Thousand Acres :: Smiley Thousand Acres Essays

Roses Breast Cancer in A Thousand Acres   Pete, representing erratic male ferocity in the novel, has a history of abusing Rose. This climaxes when he breaks her arm. It follows a terrible logic that since male rage hurts her body, so does her own, the impetus of which is provided by the patriarchal g everywherening body. Ginnys description of Pete fits Rose every bit intimately, with an indignation that would be quiet, but corrosive, erupting at odd times (31). Roses chest of drawers cancer symbolizes the way she is literally consumed with anger (the cancer eats at her flesh, consuming her body). Anger is the only way she knows to deal with her father, her husband, men and the system they represent Were not going to be sad. Were going to be aggravated until we die. Its the only hope.(354) She doesnt see that anger is destructive, that anger is in fact wherefore things have turned out the way they have. She is continually reminded of the toll her anger takes on her body , as her arm unconsciously strays to the lost muscles under her early(a) arm, by the lost breast. Nevertheless, she ignores the signs, anger has become a part of her body. The fact that this act resembles a posture signifying an attempt to contain her heart -her enough anger- suggests this, as does the fact that she especially does this when she is angry She pushed her hair back with her hand, wherefore put her fist on her hip, defiant. Except that on the way down, her fingers fluttered everywhere the vanished breast, the vanished muscles. (151) Her body, indeed, enacts her strategy. If you cant beat them, join them. If the system is based on egocentricity, cruelty, coldness and rage, then those will be her weapons. When Jess backs out of farming their land, she says When it came right down to expression on something that we had, it scared him to build on death and bad slew and anger and destruction (352). The underlying assumption of her statement is that it is impossible t o repugn all the death and destruction, so one might as well turn it to ones own advantage. This strategy, ironically, turns her into what the patriarchy has accused hers and Ginnys intertextual counterparts -Regan and Goneril- of an inhuman half-man. When she reigns supreme over the thousand acres, she has turned into her own worst nightmare her father.