Seeking Ethical Harmony: A Study On The Three“Spaces” In Jane Smiley’s Novel A Thousand Acres

Jane Smiley(1949-) is an outstanding female writer in contemporary America. Her paintings of love, affection, and friendship are closely related with the era, history and politics,which reflect her keen observation and meditation of the era and convey her deep humanistic care and moral sentiment. A Thousand Acres is such a good case in point. Since its publication in1991, it has received so many favorable comments from readers and critics. This thesis, on the basis of Lefebvre’s “unitary theory”, aims to study the loss of ethics in the novel’s physical space,social space and mental space; tries to interpret the yearning for ethical harmony in the novel.The novel’s physical space focuses on the relation between human and nature. Through the portrait of pioneering history, the novel records the conflict between dream and reality in American agricultural development. Once the land exploitation is permeated with the inspiring spirit of perseverance, however, human nature is gradually overwhelmed by interests.Technology, nature, emotion are commercialized under the influence of ethical attitude of anthropocentrism, with a deteriorating relation between human and nature and the vanishing warmth in homestead. In the sick physical world, Ginny’s ethical attitude of ecocentrism activates “green consciousness”. The ideology of expansion in physical space also projects into social space and spreads more rapidly. For the gain of world markets and political hegemony,American dream is alienated and deformed by politicians and finally becomes the blasting fuse for America to launch Vietnam War. The following political and economic crises lead to tension and conflict in interpersonal relation. In the turbulent social space, civilians struggle in the ethical dilemma; yearn for the ethical care. The segregated and indifferent social space pushes urgently for the construction of a “differential space” in which difference is respected; equality is realized in an open and diverse social space. Through the juxtaposition of images, interleaved space-time and inner monologue, the novel presents completely the true state of internal space(mental space) under the influence of external spaces(physical space and social space). It gives us a shocking portrait of characters’ psychological world and exposes morbid and alienated ethical relations one by one. On the way of pursuing harmonious inner world, the recurrence of human nature finally brings warmth and hope to the wrecked ethical space.Through the set of various spaces in the novel, Smiley displays characters’ living space and psychological space. The three layers of spaces, revealing the tragedies caused by the loss of ethics, are interlinked and grant readers strong visual impact and spiritual shock. They are embedded with Smiley’s deep concern of the time; alert people that tragedies would happen with the devoid of morality, abuse of rights, and the loss of ethics; appeal readers to seek ethical harmony. Only in this way can man and nature coexist in harmony, can man treat others with equality and sincerity, and can kindness exist forever, awarding people a happy and peaceful life.