Wang Lung's Life In The Good Earth

His moral ambiguity is heavily influenced by outside forces in his life that changes his view upon the world. The most excusable action in the eyes of the readers is when he commits a crime because his family is struggling in the southern city. Other citizens stricken by poverty tell Wang Lung that the riches do not belong to the wealthy, but to the poor. This conflicts with his belief that God determines one’s fate and way in life. Wang Lung goes against his morals and commits robbery because of his influence from others and the situation he was thrust into. This action determines Wang Lung’s wealthy future, but also symbolizes overcoming an obstacle, in this case, overcoming his internal conflict with his morals. The audience begins to notice the shift in Wang Lung’s character which will continue to develop negatively as his values are no longer intact.

In the book each of the Poh Poh’s are seen as old and wise but as well as have a deep sense of culture they are the heart of the home. Suk-Lung and Jung-Sum both had a relatively good relationship with their grandmother as they were cared for dearly”Suk-Lung and his illness. The concept of grandmother was seen throughout all three stories demonstrating their importance in Chinese culture as well as the characters lives.

“Well, and I suppose that means you do not want to work on the land and I shall not have a son on my own land, and I with sons and to spare.’ This he said with bitterness, but the boy said nothing” This conversation between him and his son made him finally realize that they wouldn’t carry on their father’s great values, and that is because during the time he was rich he left some traditions behind. Wang lung valued his land and above all he had faith in his gods once again. Traditional values were forgotten by the result of wealthy living, the kids not caring about the farmlands and not understanding the earth gods prove that wealth destroyed ancient traditions.

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

However, their fortune is short-lived when bad omens rise because of Wang Lung’s insolent behavior towards his uncle’s family. Not only is their third child born a daughter, but a drought begins, preventing the land from cultivating and spreading both poverty and starvation through the North.

To begin with, Olan is a character that represents the traditional woman in China that spends her life working and bearing children. Throughout the whole book, she rarely complains and never asks for anything. Even when Wang Lung takes away the pearls he gave her, she doesn't defy him. “...when tears dropped slowly and heavily from her eyes she did not put her hand up to wipe them away…” (Buck 186). Although she is very upset and sad, she stays selfless

Olan is introduced into the novel when Wang Lung purchases her to become his wife. Olan takes care of Wang Lung and his father. She prepares food for them and does the chores around the house that need to be done. It is obviously shown that “day after day she did one thing after another,

This book started with Wang Lung introducing himself and how his life is like. He lived with his father mostly because his father was really sick and Wang Lung had to take care of him. His father was a traditional and moral man. He did not approve many things that went on in the house. Later on, he went to the house of the Huang’s and got a slave to be his wife. Her name was O-Lan. O-Lan was a slave and she was treated really terribly most of her life, even when she married Wang Lung. Together they had 5 children: three boys and two girls, each with very different characteristics.

In chapter 3 on page 32-38, In the book Wang Lung stated, “ It’s a man child!” Wang Lung and O-lan have their first boy child, the boy made Wang Lung feel very lucky and made him feel that throughout his life. In chapter 16 on pages 144-156,Wang Lung says, “Now what is this thing you have on your body?” O-lan took Jewels and brought them back to there house, and Wang Lung found them and took them from her, except for two peals, making Wang Lung wealthy. The money

Quote #1: "He had no articulate thought of anything; there was only this perfect sympathy of movement, of turning this earth of theirs over and over to the sun, this earth which formed their home and fed their bodies and made their gods (36). " The land Wang Lung worked was what he lived off, all the money that he earned was from all his hard-earned work. Constant sweating and labor to keep his farm running, it kept him and his family feed. What is so significant about this quote is that Wang Lung talks about how there was a perfect sympathy of movement showing that he had been doing it for so long that it just because another thing to him.

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

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

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.”

He is looked down upon by others due to his poverty. Wang Lung must visit the House of Hwang to meet his new bride and when he does he walks through the courts “with his face burning and his head bowed” (15). He feels angry after having a fool made out of him by the gateman and he feels awkward and anxious to be walking through a house as majestic as the House of Hwang because he is only a poor farmer. Later though, due to his father's increasing wealth, Wang Lung’s eldest son’s place in society is above that of which his father had at his age. The eldest son becomes melancholy and starts to mope around the house.

A young Chinese farmer embarks on a true tale of rags to riches in Pearl Buck’s novel The Good Earth. The novel opens in the late 1800s with Wang Lung, a farmer, on his wedding day. He weds an ugly slave girl, O-lan, but doesn’t care that she is ugly, for in that time and place women were property and only used for work. The two grow closer through tedious work in the fields, growing in wealth through the crop’s yield. No good deed goes unpunished however, as severe drought hits and the family, now two children bigger, begins to starve. Reduced to eating grass, Wang Lung makes the life-changing decision to go to the South with what little money they can come by. The South treats the family harshly, for they must beg daily or, in Wang Lung’s