Wang Lung's Flaws

University of Puerto Rico

Rio Piedras Campus

Education Faculty

U.H.S

English 1011-137

Andrea Lebrón 2017-039 Carla Martínez 2017-043

10. Describe the problems that happened after Wang Lung brought a second woman into his house.

The Good Earth is the life of Wang Lung and the conflicts that lead to how his family’s relationship ended. He started out to be a decent person, then a cheater and in the end a killer. Wang Lung’s decision to bring a second woman into his house was one that affected everyone around him. He affected his wife, his children and himself.

Wang Lung first mentioned loving another woman, but it was said in an indirect matter. When his uncles and his uncle’s wife moved in with him, he “had to seek peace elsewhere” (page

189). That’s the first clue to knowing that he was having an affair. The moment Wang Lung decided to buy and bring the woman into his house is when his uncle’s wife said, “And it is not for you to repine when he has money and buys himself another to bring to the house.” (Page 190). Wang Lung’s desire for this other woman had him doing things without analyzing the consequences. Wang Lung made his concubine a small house in the inner court. When she finally arrived, O-Lan had vanished out of sight and because Wang Lung was giving all his attention to the arrival of Lotus, his concubine, he did not care.
O-Lan, his first wife, as mentioned before was ignored and in part was very affected by Wang Lung’s decision.

He was supposed to be her “one true love”, he was supposed to be the one to take care of her and appreciate her. But then he fell into the void that money brought, making him supposedly "bored". According to Wang Lung being bored gave him the right to cheat on his wife and make a decision that affect many. Still he was her killer, he killed her. Not only in person but in the inside. It is said that you heal overtime, but every second of every day O-Lan was killed inside just by seeing her husband with another

woman.
Also, with the arrival of Lotus, arrived Cuckoo. She took the role of her servant. O-Lan was not pleased with the idea that the woman who once manipulated her and reprimanded her, when she worked as a servant in the great house, lived in her house (page 201). O-Lan would do anything possible to sabotage Cuckoo’s work. Once, O-Lan had made a cauldron of hot water for tea in the morning and when she was finished with it, she poured out the water so when Cuckoo came in to the kitchen to make some hot tea for Lotus, she would have to boil the water herself. O-Lan refused to talk to any of them and was able to ignore them even if they ended in the same room.
Lotus was an expensive concubine and Cuckoo asked for money to buy ridiculous items. Cuckoo went every day to the town and bought expensive foods imported from the southern city. Wang Lung said to himself quietly, “You are eating my flesh.” Also, his uncle’s family was eating from the food he bought, which meant having to buy a larger quantity.
Although Lotus was Wang Lung’s concubine, she did have a commanding roll in the house. Many times she had complained that his children were a plague to her and that the kids should not be around her. He then forbid them to enter the inner court. She didn’t tolerate children, and when one day they entered her part of the court, she shrieked. She continued to complain that they should not be in there and that she would not have them touch her, especially the oldest girl (page 208-209). Wang Lung himself didn’t tolerate others cursing his children and although he made them promise to him that they would not go near her house, he didn’t agree with the way Lotus expressed herself. In the novel there was only one person Wang Lung defended, this was his first daughter, his fool. She had mental retardation and since she was small Wang Lung always protected her. This can be seen in many parts of the book. For example, when they become extremely poor and have to move south, O-Lan gives him the idea of selling his daughter, but Wang Lung loved her so much that he just couldn’t. Then when they become rich and he brings Lotus home, Lotus started screaming because she said “the fool” had bothered and that she was dumb. Here Wang Lung doesn’t care about Lotus’ feelings and protects his daughter. By the end of the novel Wang Lung tells Pear Blossom that when he dies she would have to poison “the fool” because he knew no one would take care of her and he didn’t want that but Pear Blossom tells him not to worry because she would take care of her.
As the days and years passed, O-Lan got older and sicker.

The question is: Was it caused from nature or was it heartbreak leading to death? At the beginning of Wang Lungs cheating issues or polygamous life, O-Lan pretended to accept it. The truth is that she was sad. She had been the mother of his children. She had been there through everything and she had cared for his dad since the day they got married. Wasn’t that enough for commitment and gratitude? Wasn’t that enough for attention and fidelity? Instead Wang-Lung went out and found himself another woman, and then another. That wasn’t all, she had to deal with Cuckoo. Did she deserve the life she got? Did she deserve unhappiness? Was she less than Wang-Lung? No, but Wang-Lung didn’t care. Still O-Lan pretended to be satisfied for many years causing her depression and misery. It is said that depression and exhaustion can cause sickness, and that is how she died. O-Lan fought with sadness making her weak and susceptible to everything. She died of cancer but it is also said that she died of worms in the heart, that she had fire in her vitals. Maybe Wang Lung thought that she was being ridiculous, but she wasn’t. She was mad and she felt that her life had been invaded by worms and her heart was being eaten away by another woman. The love of her life was being eaten away by Lotus. She wasn’t nice to him or grateful. She was mean and she wanted everything because she thought she deserved it and Wang Lung was dumb enough to

let it pass. Then O-Lan got cancer, we don’t why, but we surely know that Wang Lung’s affairs weren’t helping. By this it can be implied that Wang Lung was her murderer.

With all of these examples one could say Wang Lung’s decision to bring another woman home wasn’t good for anyone not even Wang Lung. It was only benefited Lotus and Cuckoo. His decision brought death, sadness and separation. To Lotus and Cuckoo this brought riches and commodity. It can be concluded that Wang Lung made thoughtless and irresponsible decision.