Marvin Carson Character Analysis in A Thousand Acres

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.

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.

...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)

...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)

...technology to transform the farmland. They plan on getting a loan with the help of Marv Carson, the banker. (full context)

Ginny dines with Marv Carson, from whom she and Ty are planning to borrow some money to expand their... (full context)

After Marv’s visit, Harold Clark stops by to tell Ginny that there’s a problem: Larry refuses to... (full context)

...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)

Marv testifies that the farm is in debt, but only because Ginny and Rose are planning... (full context)