Antitheses: King Lear and A Thousand Acres

A detailed Summary of Antitheses: King Lear and A Thousand Acres

The play King Lear and the novel A Thousand Acres can be compared and contrasted in many ways. For example, each work's plot involves a struggle over land. Both also deal with the ousting of a father figure. Another comparable element in each work is the illegitimate courting of women by a newly arrived, enigmatic son. In King Lear the son is Edmund, a bastard of the Earl of Gloucester, a son who, Gloucester admits, came "something saucily to the world before he was sent for" (KL 1.1.21-22), Gloucester still believes "the whoreson must be acknowledged" (KL 1.1.24). On the other hand, Jess Clark, one of two sons of Harold Clark, is nothing of a bastard. Rather, the absence of Jess comes from his conscious choice to leave his home to avoid the Vietnam War draft. Jess returns many years later, of his own volition. These two men, while being comparative characters, have little in common besides sharing an absence from the lives of the other characters in each respective work. These two literary figures could be fairly seen as antitheses of each other, whose differences can be seen by examining each man's circumstance, desires, and actions.

First, Edmund's circumstance is a precarious one. His situation in lif

Both of these men, Jess Clark and Edmund, are similar in major ways in their respective settings. Both are sons who enter into a story after having been absent. Both seduce the main female characters. Each man also leaves the story in an abrupt fashion. However, the details, the personalities, and the actions of the two are totally different. Edmund is a power hungry and unscrupulous man who has no compassion for his fellow man. Jess, however, has no need for power and is very caring, almost too caring in respect to Ginny and Rose. Yes, both men enter the story from abroad, but one man comes of his own free will, while the other is brought out. One man seduces the women of the story to gain, but the other man is simply interested in physical desires. One man dies and one man leaves. The men are similar in some of the situations each man faces, but are more profoundly different in their journey to those situations and their responses to those situations. These men correspond in certain situations, but differ, simply put, in all other aspects of their respective lives.

e seems to be filled with barriers because of his illegitimacy. He, however, not only uses this fact of life to his advantage, but also disregards his illegitimacy. He believes that "if not by birth, have lands by wit" (KL 1.2.187). Edmund first questions the immorality of being a bastard and being the younger of the Gloucester's two sons by thinking to himself, "Lag of a brother? Why bastard? Wherefore base? When my dimensions are as well compact, my mind as generous, and my shape as true, as honest madam's issue? Why brand they us with base? With baseness? Bastardy?" (KL 1.2.6-10). Edmund then goes on to beguile his father into believing that Edgar, his other, legitimate son, plans to kill him. Edmund does so, though, by conveying respect and fellowship for his brother, which would seem fitting for a son brought out after years of neglect from a father. Although Edmund seems sincere, his true conviction is to play both sides of the coin. Edmund also goes to Edgar to warn him of their father's desire to apprehend him for his plans to kill their father. After warning Edgar of the danger, Edmund tells his brother of a place to go that will be safe, and tells Edgar, "I am no honest man if there be any good meaning toward you. I have told you what I have seen and heard" (KL 1.2.176-178). He again shows love for family that he hardly knows, in keeping with his "sincerity," even swearing on his honesty as a man to Edgar. He is truly a bastard by every right, a schemer with no honor. Edmund even ridicules the acceptance of his honor by Edgar, "He suspects none; on whose foolish honesty my practices ride easy" (KL 1.2.185-186).

Jess took two or three deep breaths. The swing chains rattled and twisted against one another. The lilacs were over with, but I'd cut the grass around the house that morning, and the sweet fragrance of chamomile floated on top of the sharper scent of the wet tomato vines I'd watered before dinner. There weren't any lightning bugs, yet, but I could see one or two cabbage

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Approximate Word count = 2095
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

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