Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth

In this rags-to-riches novel, Wang Lung rises from an obscure farmer living in poverty to a famous landowner living in luxury. As his story begins, Wang Lung is a poverty-stricken farmer who is setting out to collect the slave, O-lan, who has been purchased to serve him as wife. He is so poor that to him drinking tea,”Is like eating silver.” (Buck 4). He was so poor that he has never been asked for money by a beggar till the day he went to

In Pearl S. Buck’s novel, The Good Earth, the protagonist, Wang Lung, starts out as a very poor farmer in China. He marries a slave named O-lan and starts a family with her. Famine soon strikes the town and there is no food to be found anywhere. Wang Lung moves his family South in hopes of finding a job there. Eventually, a group of poor people raid the homes of the rich. Wang Lung and O-lan both join in, getting away with enough gold and valuables to get back to their land in the North. Wang Lung uses this stolen money to buy more land and hire laborers. He quickly becomes one of the richest men in his town. Wang Lung, however, does not know that with great wealth comes great responsibility. His wealth corrupts him and his moral judgements become blurred. Wang

The novel begins with O-Lan, Wang Lung 's unattractive first wife, who he married while he was very poor. Wang Lung was looking forward to this marriage because his wife would take over the chore of boiling water in the morning and cooking for his father. A passage in the book stated, "Now father and son could rest. There was a woman coming to the house. Never again would Wang Lung have to rise summer and winter at dawn to light the fire. He could

O-lan and Wang Lung demonstrate to the readers consistent acts of faithfulness, proving their virtues. The couple’s diligence moves them higher in social status, which brings honor to their lives and family. Unlike Lung’s Uncle and Cousin, who’s habitual dishonesty prove their vice and laziness. These characteristics result in dishonor, and the pair’s unfulfilling lives. Rewards in life, come from hard work, slowly and consistently working towards a goal, if there is no work there is no reward. Israelmore Ayivor, the inspirational author, said it best,“Leaders get to tall heights by taking short steps. Being faithful, diligent and consistent with little steps is the secret to mounting greater heights.”

Firstly for Wang Lung, as farmer, the land is like a supreme being because it controls his wealth. It is what keeps the family from starving and grants them luxuries. The silver he earns is so precious

The Good Earth, by Pearl S Buck, is set in China during the early 20th century, on a farm owned by Wang Lung. Wang Lung is, at the beginning of the novel, a traditional poor farmer who works from “sunup to sundown” on his field. He marries and has children with a former slave of the great House of Hwang, named O-lan; they have several sons and daughters together. By the end of the novel, the family is wealthy enough to be called a “Great House” and because of this, his family is able to live in luxury. Only one son, the third son, works as a farmer until he quits to become a soldier. This causes the sons to think that the family’s traditions no longer extend to them and that they do not have to follow them. In The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck,

However, the excerpt from the novel discusses cooperation. A subtle metaphor is created where O-lan represents the Earth and the production of a child is likened to the cultivation of the land. Thus, the necessity of the emphasis on Wang Lung and O-lan working together. Additionally, another distinction is evident when analyzing the two prosaic works:“Let It Grow” utilizes personification when referring to the natural world, which is notably absent in the excerpt from The Good

The life of a poor farmer in China during the early twentieth century is full of its fair share of good and bad times. This is certainly true is Pearl S. Buck’s novel The Good Earth, which tells the story of the young Chinese peasant farmer Wang Lung and his journey through life. Throughout his journey, he is confronted with disasters, dilemmas, and tragedy, but is also at times blessed with good fortune at times. Through Wang Lung’s experiences and the rises and falls of his fortunes, The Good Earth conveys messages about life’s peaks and valleys, as stated by The New York Times, which said of The Good Earth, “A comment upon the meaning and tragedy of life as it is lived in any age in any quarter of the globe.”

The main character of the novel, Wang Lung, was a poor young peasant who lived with his father. He worked everyday in the fields harvesting goods and he enjoyed

Early in the novel, Wang Lung suspects O-lan of conceiving another child shortly after bearing their first son. With irritation and fatigue, Wang Lung confronts O-lan of purposely having a child during that time as an excuse to stop working since harvest would be at its peak. Exhausted from the hard labor, Wang Lung did not comfort O-lan, but rather tell himself that he had suffered equally with his labor in the fields as she had with childbirth (Buck 57). As a wife, O-lan was not only expected bear a child, but also tend to the fields with Wang Lung. Distinguishing the two roles, Wang Lung implies that those responsibilities hold different meanings, yet are equally as important for men and women to accomplish. In a similar manner, Wang Lung scolds his aunt and cousins because of their poor mannerisms. He questions why the eldest female cousin had not been married yet and why she still runs about. Wang Lung calls his uncle’s destiny “evil” because of his misfortunes regarding his family. He then finishes by advising his uncle that “it is better for a girl to be married while she is yet virgin” (60).  By this, Wang Lung states his opinion on a young girl’s role and how she should act, further instituting gender roles created by their society. Through this portion, Pearl Buck shows that gender roles can affect women and men in

Not unlike readers themselves, Wang Lung wants nothing but the best for his family. To readers, it is only understandable and inevitable that in these circumstances, it is bound for extreme actions to take place.

In traditional Chinese culture, there has always been a strong connection with the earth. The earth gives life and helps to sustain it, and in the end the earth is where you return. For Wang Lung, this was a concept easily grasped. He loved the land, and even in his rise to power, his connection to it remained. When he was most at peace, he was working the land. The times he grew restless were those when he was unable to farm.

Wang Lung is proud of O-lan for giving him a son. After Wang Lung and O-lan get married, they start planting crops because it is the way they earn money. Even after O-lan gives birth, she goes out to the fields because she knows they need to earn a living. After the family’s New Year’s day visit to the House of Hwang, Wang Lung goes

The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck, tells the story of Wang Lung, a poor farmer, during the turn of the century in China. One important aspect of the novel is the way in which women rise to power. For example, Lotus Flower Flower, a prostitute, uses Wang Lung’s attraction towards her in order to secure herself a higher place in society. Next, Pear Blossom, a slave, uses flattery and sexuality to persuade Wang Lung to take her as a concubine. Finally, O-lan, Wang Lung’s wife, rises to power in her new home by inserting herself into a position usually held by men. Throughout the novel, women carefully navigate the misogyny expressed by men and rise in status and power by taking advantage of Wang Lung’s feelings towards them, exploiting his

The second half of The Good Earth largely contrasts to the first half of the book. Wang Lung now has a large amount of wealth, and has laborers to take care of all of his prior duties on his land. The character Lotus is presented and becomes a large part of the story, being Wang Lung’s concubine. It is sad that Wang Lung gives all of his affection and love to Lotus, as opposed to his wife, O-lan. In Chinese culture, it was normal for wealthy men to buy additional wives for themselves. This culture was the reason that O-lan, although pained by being replaced for Lotus, continued to act as a obedient Chinese wife. Wang Lung does eventually become less interested in Lotus and he returns to work. While O-lan lies sick for months awaiting