A Thousand Acres

A Thousand Acres

by

Jane Smiley

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Thousand Acres makes teaching easy.

Marvin Carson Character Analysis

The community’s most prominent banker, who arranges for Tyler Smith and Ginny Cook Smith to borrow money and develop their new farmland. Much as the Fool’s comic status in King Lear allowed him to speak his mind about Lear while the other characters flattered him, Marv’s financial independence and neutrality sometimes allows him to speak the truth about Larry and the Cook sisters while other characters just try to tell them what they want to hear. Marvin corresponds to the character of the Fool in King Lear.
Get the entire Thousand Acres LitChart as a printable PDF.
A Thousand Acres PDF

Marvin Carson Character Timeline in A Thousand Acres

The timeline below shows where the character Marvin Carson appears in A Thousand Acres. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book 1, Chapter 5
King Lear and Good vs. Evil Theme Icon
Women, Sexual Abuse, and Fertility Theme Icon
Inheritance, Land, and Memory Theme Icon
...the party, Ginny goes to her father’s house, and finds Larry driving with his friend, Marv Carson, who works at the bank. Ginny proceeds to cook breakfast for Larry and Marv... (full context)
Book 1, Chapter 7
Inheritance, Land, and Memory Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
...driving back: she sees that he’s found Harold and Loren. Another car pulls up, carrying Marv Carson and Ken LaSalle (Larry’s lawyer and friend). Pete and Rose arrive, and soon there... (full context)
Book 3, Chapter 22
Women, Sexual Abuse, and Fertility Theme Icon
Inheritance, Land, and Memory Theme Icon
...technology to transform the farmland. They plan on getting a loan with the help of Marv Carson, the banker. (full context)
Book 3, Chapter 26
Women, Sexual Abuse, and Fertility Theme Icon
Inheritance, Land, and Memory Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
Ginny dines with Marv Carson, from whom she and Ty are planning to borrow some money to expand their... (full context)
King Lear and Good vs. Evil Theme Icon
Women, Sexual Abuse, and Fertility Theme Icon
Inheritance, Land, and Memory Theme Icon
Revenge Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
After Marv’s visit, Harold Clark stops by to tell Ginny that there’s a problem: Larry refuses to... (full context)
Book 4, Chapter 30
King Lear and Good vs. Evil Theme Icon
Women, Sexual Abuse, and Fertility Theme Icon
Inheritance, Land, and Memory Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
...Nobody was around to take care of Harold: Jess was jogging, Larry was talking to Marv Carson, Ty was working, and Ginny was driving Pammy. At the hospital, Harold discovers that... (full context)
Book 5, Chapter 40
King Lear and Good vs. Evil Theme Icon
Women, Sexual Abuse, and Fertility Theme Icon
Inheritance, Land, and Memory Theme Icon
Revenge Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
Marv testifies that the farm is in debt, but only because Ginny and Rose are planning... (full context)