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The Good Earth Quotes

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A novel that refers to an ancient China with different traditions and beliefs, uses a common farmer as the main character. The novel The Good Earth written by “Pearl S. Buck” occurs in early China, at a time there were still emperors. Their life styles were different in many varied aspects in comparison to our modern day life. Some examples of this unique culture are: the different women roles, the symbolism of land as power and how wealth affected their traditions. One of the main ideas the author transmits to us is the arranged marriage and the possibility of having a second woman in the house. In the beginning of the book Wang Lung was a poor farmer with small land and fortune in his hands. Wang Lung then decided to go to the Great House of Hwang, a rich and powerful family house, to buy a slave wife to himself to help him in his daily work as a farmer. …show more content…

At first he didn’t want O-lan to work in the fields while pregnant and also felt the tension when his wife was in labor. But as time went by he did not care much for O-Lan and would not even take his time to ask if the baby was a boy or a girl. For him it felt like a normal everyday life event, his dedication for his wife and kids changed. Wang’s connection to religion also changed according to how his life was like. When his connection to earth was strong he showed faith in the Earth God. But when his fortune declined and passed through tough times he showed bitterness and not much faith in the Gods. The Good Earth has its setting in ancient China in a time of different beliefs and traditions. The story shows an everyday life of a poor Chinese farmer. But as time went by he was able to succeed in life but changing his personality drastically throughout the story. The unique culture in the novel shows a different role women had in society, a different symbolism for land and how wealth changed a person and his

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In the novel The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, the reader follows the main character Wang Lung as he lives in the shifting nation of China. The novel begins on Wang Lung’s wedding day as he travels to the great house of the city to marry his new wife- a former slave named O-Lan. Wang Lung never truly loves O-Lan, but respects her for her hard work. Together the two work on the family’s small plot of land. O-Lan successfully births three children, and all is well until the famine strikes.

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She had given the sons to Wang Lung, she worked endlessly, but to Wang Lung she didn’t have the beauty which was enough to make him loose interest in her. Nonetheless O-Lan remains loyal and

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In The Good Earth, Lung’s sons stray from the family’s traditions and customs. This could be perceived as positive or negative. The sons’ being disrespectful to elders would be negative. It could be considered a weakness to not have a deep connection with the earth but, it could also be considered wise not to rely too much on the earth for all of one 's needs. Religion not being practiced could also be contemplated as favorable or unfavorable.

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