Life is full of both blessings and catastrophes. In the 1930s, The New York Times said that Pearl S. Buck’s novel, The Good Earth, was a “comment upon the meaning and tragedy of life as it is lived in any age in any quarter of the globe”. The Good Earth, which is about a poor Chinese farmer named Wang Lung, his family, and their journey from being in poverty to being one of the wealthiest families in the city, truly illustrates the meaning of life and what makes it so special. Throughout the story, the Wang family receives an equal amount of good luck as bad luck, and have an abundance of prosperity and a fair share of misfortune. Just like any other family in the world, the Wang household goes through ups and downs all the time and overcomes …show more content…
the challenges, obstacles, and tragedies by sticking together as a family. In The Good Earth, Wang Lung’s family receives good luck, the part of life that everyone looks forward to, numerous times. The first form of good fortune mentioned in the novel is when Wang Lung and his wife Olan have a healthy, plump, “fat and good-natured” (Buck 42) firstborn son. When Wang Lung goes to buy fifty eggs, red paper, and sugar to celebrate, he thinks that “there was never a man so filled with good fortune as he” (Buck 41). Similarly, the couple also encounters good luck in the rich man’s house in the South. While down there, Wang Lung and Olan are swept into the commoners’ raid of the wealthy man’s huge house, where they both find the treasures that will later help them build up their rural empire. Wang Lung demands and later acquires a huge amount of gold from the confused, drunk, naked, and round lord, and Olan finds a bag of precious jewels. The two are very fortunate to have found those riches, especially when hundreds of other ruthless people blinded by greed were looking for the exact same things. Later, the Wang family travels back home, where their opulence continue to grow. Good fortune rains on them, and they continue to prosper. With this abundance of wealth, the family is able to afford servants, an enormous house in the city, concubines, opium, and delicacies. As Wang Lung puts it, “he was protected by heaven and . . . was a man of good fortune” (Buck 247). This is comparable to the lives of the wealthy of this world; they are lucky enough to live such a lavish lifestyle. Wang Lung’s family has their fair share of good luck that they are satisfied with, relatable to the joys of having a fortunate life. Although there is no shortcoming of good luck, Wang Lung and his family also experience a multitude of tragedies in the novel. Misfortune initially starts in the book when Wang Lung’s first daughter is born. He considers it to be “an evil omen” (Buck 69) that leads to the drought and later famine. There is no rainfall for crops, and therefore no crops for food and money. As a result, the penurious villagers resort to the desperate measures of stealing and cannibalism for a tiny morsel of food. Months pass, and Wang Lung, with no choice but to bring his family with “bellies . . . swollen out with empty wind” (Buck 81) to the South in hopes of finding food, uses his last bit of money to buy train tickets to the bustling Southern city of Kiangsu. However, their luck isn’t much better in the South. Wang Lung, in desperation, cries out, “And what can happen to me worse than that which has happened!” (Buck 80). The Wang family is homeless in the South, and when the public kitchen closes, has to steal food to eat or go hungry. They live a forlorn life, and no matter how hard Olan begs or how many rickshaw trips Wang Lung makes, the family never has enough money to return home. Furthermore, their eldest daughter becomes mentally retarded due to starvation. When the Wang household finally returns back home and good luck seems to be on his side helping him establish his wealth, locusts and later a flood come, ruining the crops. As a result, Wang Lung’s family lives through some of the many tragedies of this world: they live as homeless in destitution, penniless and needy without people casting a single glance at them, just like the homeless seen today; they starve, just like the malnourished children in Africa and other third-world countries; they encounter many natural disasters; and, their daughter becomes feeble-minded. The Wang household also reveres the importance of family, a value esteemed by many people, no matter how old or young, poor or rich.
Wang Lung’s family is the source of his love, support, and drive to accomplish his dreams. Wang Lung’s opulence is reached with the help and support of Olan. Olan is hardworking and efficient, obedient to her husband’s every command, and never squanders money, for she “through all these years had followed him faithfully as a dog, and . . . when he was poor and labored in the fields himself she left her bed even after a child was born and came to help him in the harvest fields” (Buck 181). And, to help Wang Lung accumulate up wealth, she willingly gives up her precious bag of jewels to buy land with, mends and makes the family’s clothes instead of buying them, and repairs their home with her own hands and resources rather than hiring other people to do it. Additionally, Olan bears Wang Lung sons to continue his bloodline, never complains about having too much work, and never requests for a servant. Olan is an ideal and perfect wife, and without her resourcefulness and multitude of skills, Wang Lung is never able to end up with an expanding farming empire. The Wang family also respects their elders, and they treat them as superiors, for “‘in the Sacred Edicts it is commanded that a man is never to correct an elder’” (Buck 66). When the Wang family is starving, Wang Lung gives all the food they have to spare to his father so that “none could say in the hour of death he had forgotten his father” (Buck 82). And, even though Wang Lung despises his lethargic uncle, he still treats them courteously and allows his family to live in his house, because he knows it’s a “shame to a man when he has enough to spare to drive his own father’s brother and son from the house” (Buck 203). Furthermore, Wang Lung is a decent father, and exceptionally affectionate towards his innocent oldest daughter with the special, heartwarming smile. Even though
she has some communication and comprehension difficulties, Wang Lung still adores and loves her very much, and cannot bear to sell her for money or let her live without his protection. Family is very significant to the Wang family, and its importance is still treasured everywhere. The Good Earth, just like what the New York Times says, truly reflects upon the meaning of life. The storyline portrays the essence of life for anyone in any corner of the earth. The characters in the novel experience both good luck and bad luck, beauty and tragedy. However, it is how they accept and overcome the obstacles with the support of family that is really applicable to any generation in any part of the world. Everyone will go through times when they are successful and times when they feel like life is destitute and bleak. But even so, the story of Wang Lung’s can inspire every single person to keep trying with the support of family because eventually, they’ll surmount the obstructions in life’s journey and finally achieve victory.
There are little to no direct accounts of how individuals’ lives were a couple thousand years ago in Ancient China. With a wealth of information on the rise, decline, and fall of empires, Michael Loewe, a sinologist who specializes in oriental studies and theology, writes an imaginary story about a hero named Bing set around 70 BCE. Bing: From Farmer’s Son to Magistrate in Han China is Loewe’s fictional portrait of life during the Han Empire. It is by no means a comprehensive historical account of Han times, in fact, it was written with those readers who are not familiar with Chinese in mind, however through the life of Bing we can gage how the lives of laborers, those involved in military service, merchants, and government officials might
In the epilogue to The Death of Woman Wang, we see several ways in which Chinese culture determined the sentence meted out to the Jens by Huang. False accusation of innocent persons was a capital crime in 17th century China, punishable by death. The Jens, however, were not executed. The largest factor in sparing the younger Jen, was based around the cultural importance placed on continuation of family lines and the strict ways in which this could acceptably happen.
“The Death of Woman Wang”, written by Chinese historian Jonathan Spence, is a book recounting the harsh realities facing citizens of Tancheng country, Shandong Province, Qing controlled China in the late 17th century. Using various primary sources, Spence describes some of the hardships and sorrow that the people of Tancheng faced. From natural disasters, poor leadership, banditry, and invasions, the citizens of Tancheng struggled to survive in a devastated and changing world around them. On its own, “Woman Wang” is an insightful snapshot of one of the worst-off counties in imperial Qing China, however when taking a step back and weaving in an understanding of long held Chinese traditions, there is a greater understanding what happened in
In the two short stories “Circus in Town” by Sinclair Ross and “ ‘Happyness’ for Sale” by Jia Lynn Yang. Both passages display the personal and emotional hardships that the two main characters must face whilst living a destitute life style. However, both characters have a solution to their misfortune by embracing an optimistic view about their future lifestyle. While Jenny uses a more childish and imaginative way to escape her lifestyle, Chris merely uses his spiritual energy to change his outlook of his impoverished life.
I would like to point out that Wang Lung was never the most filial of men. Early in the novel, we saw him slip up once or twice. However, at a younger age, he felt guilty when this happened and was able to hold his tongue in most situations. Wang Lung’s uncle is able to exploit Wang Lung based on his filial piety. When the uncle, a lazy man who blames his struggles on an “evil destiny”, asks his nephew to borrow money, Wang Lung explodes, saying, “‘If I have a handful of silver it is because I work and my wife works, and we do not…[let our] fields grow to weeds and our children go half fed!’” (65). But right after he lets these words slip, he “[stands] sullen and unmovable” (66) because knows that his outburst is wrong. However, later in the novel, Wang Lungs lack of sense for filial piety grows evident as he becomes more arrogant. For example, when he is nearing the end of his life, Wang Lung asks without a second thought to be buried below his father but above his uncle and Ching. Asking to be buried above his uncle makes the statement that Wang Lung believes he is a greater man than his uncle. Before his rise through the ranks of society, Wang Lung would never have even considered being buried above his uncle, even though he always had a disliking for him. However, because of his power, he feels that he has the right to disrespect his
The Cultural Revolution in China was led by Mao Zedong, due to this Liang and many others faced overwhelming obstacles in many aspects of their life such as work, family and everyday encounters, if affected everyone’s families life and education, Liang lets us experience his everyday struggles during this era, where the government determined almost every aspect of life. The beginning of the book starts out with Liang’s typical life, which seems normal, he has a family which consists of three children, two older sisters and him the youngest, his two sister’s reside in Changsha 1. his father has an everyday occupation working as a journalist at a local newspaper. Things start to take a turn early in life for Liang Heng, his family politics were always questioned, the mistake made by one of his family members would impact his entire family and it would be something they would have to suffer through, it was impossible for them to live down such a sin.... ...
Both awe-inspiring and indescribable is life, the defined “state of being” that historians and scholars alike have been trying to put into words ever since written language was first created. And in the words of one such intellectual, Joshua J. Marine, “Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful”. Essentially, he is comparing life to a bowl of soup. Without challenges or hardship into which we can put forth effort and show our potential, it becomes a dull and flavorless broth. But for characters in novels like Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, and Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, the difficulties and trials that we all must face can transfigure the mundane liquid mixture of existence into a vibrant and fulfilling gumbo. The protagonists of these works are two strong-willed and highly admirable women, who prevail in the face of overwhelming odds stacked in everyone’s favor but theirs. In their trying periods of isolation brought about by cold and unwelcoming peers, particularly men, they give their lives meaning by simply pushing forward, and living to tell the tale.
From the beginning of Wang Lung’s marriage to O-lan, she saved him time, money, and effort without complaint. She offered wisdom when asked and was smart in the ways of the world. During the famine, when the family went south in search of food, O-lan taught her children how to beg for food, “dug the small green weeds, dandelions, and shepherds purse that thrust up feeble new leaves”(p. 128). She raised her children prudently. She knew how to bind her daughter’s feet, and she gave them a better childhood than she had had. O-lan knew that the land was the only consistent thing in her life, so she willingly helped Wang Lung as he bought more and more land. O-lan knew her place in the family was as a wife and mother. As a wife, she fe...
The Death of Woman Wang, by Jonathan Spence is an educational historical novel of northeastern China during the seventeenth century. The author's focus was to enlighten a reader on the Chinese people, culture, and traditions. Spence's use of the provoking stories of the Chinese county T'an-ch'eng, in the province of Shantung, brings the reader directly into the course of Chinese history. The use of the sources available to Spence, such as the Local History of T'an-ch'eng, the scholar-official Huang Liu-hung's handbook and stories of the writer P'u Sung-Ling convey the reader directly into the lives of poor farmers, their workers and wives. The intriguing structure of The Death of Woman Wang consists on observing these people working on the land, their family structure, and their local conflicts.
Everyone can pant a pretty picture of how wonderful their life may be. In fact, doing so may come with a consequences. Reading these three short stories “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell and a short biography by Malcolm X called “My First Conk”, set off many different emotions. I felt as these author’s wanted to me to feel in such way. I believe there is a life lesion in every life story someone has to share, no matter how small or big.
Money and wealth change and influence Wang Lung as he evolves from a common peasant to a wealthy noble. For instance, towards the beginning, after he is shaved by a local barber before heading off to the House of Hwang, Wang Lung sees “the money counted into the barber’s wrinkled, water-soaked hand . . . [and] had a moment of horror” (11). A poor peasant in the beginning of the story, Wang Lung always thought completely about how he spent his money, whether he was shaving his face to look presentable or the wedding day itself. Thus, he wasn’t prone to spoiling himself with unnecessary luxuries, and thought of money to be used only when it is needed. Thereafter, on his second visit to the local House of Hwang, Wang Lung is treated as one of the nobles for his growing wealth and prospering harvest, shown when the gateman’s wife “presented to him [a bowl of tea] and he set it before him and did not drink of it, as though it were not good enough in quality tea leaves...
O-lan was obviously a very bold and important woman in this novel yet never knew it. She would do what she was raised to do and try her best to make her husband happy. Through all her marriage, she helped Wang Lung to be one of the wealthiest men in his city. While O-lan endured many difficulties, she continued with her duties as wife through thick and thin. Whether it was her begging on the streets for food and money, or putting up with Lotus, her husband's concubine, O-lan remained a strong woman with good qualities until the day she died. While she usually had little to say, O-lan's impact on the Lung family is one that wont be forgotton. She accomplished all of her goals in life and fulfilled her marital duty in making Wang Lung very happy. Even after all this, O-lan still was a very modest woman.
Wang Lung needs a wife so saves up the little money he has and buys a woman who is a slave named O-lan. O-lan is sold to Wang Lung so she can take care of the home, cooking and bear children. Wang Lung is disappointed when he first sees O-lan because she does not have bound feet which was a desirable quality at that time but he does enjoy when O-lan has the food ready when he comes in a night from the land. Wang Lung is very proud when O-lan makes cakes that no one else in the village knows how to makes and when his family comes to feast for the new year at their house.
Wang Lung's ox: The ox has been Wang Lung's field companion for many years, but must be killed during the famine to provide food for the family.
Historically, the Chinese have considered the family as the basic unit of society. Familial principles such as obedience, loyalty, and kinship have been cherished in all states. In premodern China, many philosophers discussed their own beliefs about family. Confucius and other philosophers defined that an exemplary family was the one in which parents cared about their children, and children obeyed their parents. The Analects of Confucius discusses filiality, a traditional obedience to parents and ancestors, as its central theme. When an individual understands the concept of filiality and practices it, he can establish his moral way of behaving. Deference to elders in a family is considered the roots for accomplishing one’s comprehensive ethics. In the Han dynasty, filial piety was a political ideal as well as a familial virtue. Thus, emphasis on this familial virtue increased significantly. Confucius argued that filial piety begins with serving one’s parents and continues with serving the emperor. Being obedient to one’s parents was a prerequisite to being loyal to the emperor. On th...