O Lan In The Good Earth

Characterization of O-lan Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth is a story about a poor farmer and his wife’s rise to wealth. In The Good Earth, Buck depicts Wang Lung’s wife, O-lan, as a near perfect person. O-lan is a very quiet and humble person who is content with living her rather simple and bland life. Similarities between O-lan and the Virtuous Woman of the Bible can also be seen as both woman are strong and always put their families first. The only exception to this comparison is the fact that the Virtuous Woman gives to the poor and there is no evidence in The Good Earth that suggests that O-lan ever gave to the poor. With all considered, O-lan is a model of the perfect Chinese wife considering her humility, contentment, and resourcefulness; in many respects, O-lan is the virtuous woman. O-lan is actually a very

The Virtuous Woman of the Bible is one who is mentally strong, has a strong faith in God, gives to the poor, and cares for her family. In many respects, O-lan is the Virtuous Woman as she is strong and seems to live to serve her family. O-lan may not be a devout member of the Christian faith (or any organized faith for that matter) but she does have a strong faith in the land. The similarities between O-lan and the virtuous women are too great to ignore, even considering their minor differences. In the Bible, one aspect of the Virtuous Woman is that she gives to the poor. In The Good Earth, there is never any mention of O-lan giving to the poor. While O-lan does take care of her family and gives them everything, she never gives to anyone else. Furthermore, while O-lan does seem to praise the earth and some faith in one or more deities, she does not seem to be devout in her faith. O-lan does not attend mass or ever pray to her deities. With these minor differences recognized, however, there are still too many similarities between O-lan and the Virtuous Woman to