Comparing The Virtuous Woman And The Good Earth

Bethany Blanton

Mrs. Sites

English 12A

2/21/17

“The Virtuous Woman” and Olan In this poem and the book, “The Virtuous Woman” and The Good Earth, the two women spoke of having very strong characteristics and that is where they are the same; however, they differ in some ways. Both women do well for their husbands and they work willingly, yet the differences are their views on giving to the needy and household relations. When reading these stories we see that these two characters are very similar to one another. Olan, as one comes to see, is not all around as appreciated as the virtuous woman is. In both of these stories the two woman do everything within their power to please their husbands. Olan, for example, who was a slave purchased for her husband to become his wife, instantly put herself to work and made herself useful when going to her new home to become the obedient wife. From the moment she arrived, she cooked and clean and mended to the clothing that needed fixed. Even after giving birth to their first child, Olan would go straight to the field and work alongside her husband. She works willingly, as does the virtuous woman. “She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life” in this quote we see that it is her

Olan does not get the praises by her husband that she should be getting. For example, when Olan finds the rubies that brings her and her family into wealth her husband does not thank her, he even goes as far as taking some of the credit for finding them. Once they come into wealth Olan has to manage the fact that her husband has another woman brought to their home, a woman that he loves. The virtuous woman on the other hand, is praised. “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.” Just from this quote we can see that the virtuous woman has a very different relationship at home than Olan