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The Wang Family In The Good Earth

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At the beginning of The Good Earth the Wang family lived in a small house in China on their family’s ancestral land. The earth was vital to the Wangs, as they used it, not only to grow crops, but also to build their house, construct an oven, and make water pots, as well as other items. During the 1890s and 1930s, the Wang family experienced famines which forced them to move to the South. When the family returned, they became very prosperous. Being wealthy, they were able to own more land and move into the Great House of Hwang. Along with their abundance of land and moving into the “great house,” Wang Lung’s children grew up in an environment very different from what their father had experienced in his childhood. This difference led to some unfortunate changes. In The …show more content…

In ancient Chinese history males were expected to wear their hair in long braids called a guelle for religious purposes. In The Good Earth, Wang’s sons cut off their guelles, which, in a sense, they lost their connection to god. The process of marriage was different from the process today. When Wang and O-lan got married, they had to go and ask the Earth gods for their blessing. Going to the Earth Gods was the final step in the marriage process. Without this step the marriage was incomplete. Also Lung would go to the gods and pray to them whenever he could. Neither of Wang’s sons asked for their blessing or praised to them. The tradition of filial piety is abandoned by the sons of Wang Lung. For those who do not know what filial piety is, the dictionary states, “a virtue of respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors.” Growing up Lung took care of his elderly father. He gave the man tea every morning. He would help him out of bed and prepare his meals. But when Lung grew older, his sons paid for servants to take care of him. They thought since they were prosperous they could just pay people to do their

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Based upon descriptions in the book, is Wang Lung financially intelligent? Explain. Wang Lung is financially intelligent because when he was in the village instead of saving the money he bought from the house of Hwang. This piece of land has stayed with him from the longest time, and still. But, he is not so intelligent after all as when O-lan continuously told him to wait, he did not investigate what the reason for them staying was, instead he listened.

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It’s early twentieth-century China. The vast majority of the citizenry is poor dirt farmers, growing and harvesting a meager living off of the land. Contrary to the general public, a farmer named Wang Lung has managed to rise from dirt to gold, poverty to wealth. When he has sons, however, they end up no longer respecting their elders, no longer farming the land, and no longer honoring the gods or giving them credit for their family’s success. In The Good Earth, Wang Lung’s children are raised in an atmosphere of privilege, leading them away from their family’s traditional values.

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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.

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He has an intimate relationship with the land because he labors tirelessly. In contrast, the wealthy Hwang family uses hired labor and become obsessed with worldly possessions.

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The Good Earth, a historical fiction by Pearl S. Buck, shows the life of a farmer in twentieth century China. Throughout the novel, Wang Lung, the main character, progresses from a poor countryman to a rich businessman. O-lan, Wang Lung’s faithful wife, bores her husband many children and serves as a strong foundation in the household. Through multiple examples in the book, Buck portrays the obvious gender bias of Ancient China, a woman’s understood responsibilities within a household, and their quiet power.

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