Smiley retells Lear in such a way that the characters in Lear who seemed more evil (such as Edmund, Goneril, and Regan) are now presented in a more balanced light (Ginny, Jess Clark, Rose). Ginny initially seems to be a decent, moral person, and believes herself to be a decent person even after her actions grow increasingly greedy and cruel, making it more difficult for readers to condemn or condone these actions. Even a character like Larry, who’s guilty of a truly evil crime, may himself be the victim of other people’s evil deeds later in life. In general, A Thousand Acres uses its Lear allusions to show that labels like “good” and “evil” often can’t be so firmly applied in the real world.