At the beginning of A Thousand Acres, the event where all the characters meet up together for the first time is at Harold Clark's hog roast for Jess' homecoming. Since Smiley chose to begin the story here, I believe that makes Jess Clark in the middle of this intense plot. The first time we see a big revelation from Jess is when he's speaking to Ginny about his mother's death:
"I was so furious at her. I wrote her twice, you know, that first year. I told her I didn't believe in the war and I knew she didn't either. I just wanted a single letter, or a postcard from her saying she understood, or at least that she was thinking about me... She knew where I was in 1971, or she could have found out, if she called the address on those letters... Can you believe how they've fucked us over, Ginny? Living and dying! I was her child! What ideal did she sacrifice me to? Patriotism?... Don't you realize they've destroyed us at every turn? You bet she was sad, of course she was sad! But why didn't she give me a fucking chance?" (Smiley 54-5).
What this passage does is introduce the reader to the troubled side of Jess Clark. Up until this point in the book Jess comes off as this mysterious figure that's been missing from Zebulon County for thirteen years. With this revelation you find out why he was gone for so long and you empathize toward his character; he's lonely, hurt and upset because he was drafted at eighteen, his fiance died in a tragic car accident, his mother died while he was away, and also, he felt abandoned by her (his mother). While reading this I felt like he was an unstable character and that he should find comfort and help in Ginny. This caused me to question what I was feeling because Ginny is married for one and Jess doesn't want to stay on the farm; he wants to go back 'home' to Seattle.
So in questioning the empathy and sympathy I felt toward Jess allowed me to see this passage as revealing the anger in Jess Clark. After Jess finishes his tirade, Ginny admits she's shaken and afraid; her hands were even trembling. This could be Smiley foreshadowing what a volatile being Jess is and that bad things will come because of his resurrection, but possibly she's pointing out yet another man Ginny is afraid of. Now that wouldn't just involve her relationship with Jess it would involve all the relationships Ginny has with men in this novel. I think Smiley wanted to show Jess as the dynamic character he really is and that he could turn Ginny's world upside down.
I definitely agree with you about the dynamic perspective of Jess Clark. At first he seems so casual and an almost peaceful reprieve from the monotony of farm life. But as this passage progresses we learn Jess' darker side and catch glimpses of his more troubled past. I like how you mentioned that Jess might just become one more man Ginny is afraid of. It is going to be interesting to see how his character plays out and which role he takes, especially with Harold working him into his new will.
ReplyDeleteI think Smiley is using Jess as well in more ways than just as "the ousider." It's interesting that you say that Jess could potentially become another man that Ginny is afraid of because as the story ufolds, I am starting to feel like Ginny is not only afraid of Larry, but even Ty as well to an extent. I think Jess has much more depth than some of the other characters who haven't experienced much out of life because they have always lived on the farm. The passage you chose definitely highlights the anger and hurt Jess has experienced, but it also forshadows how troubled he has become. We see his character start to unravel and I am particularly interested to see how he and Ginny are going to work out their relationship.
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