The Good Earth

Brown dust surrounds you as you glace around the soul remains of one pathetic rice plant, of what once was a bearer of foods, now just the dried up equivalent of a desert, yet Wang Lung, the main character, feels hopeful for what will come, at least his family is still alive. In the novel The Good Earth, the author, Pearl S. Buck, acknowledges the fact of which we may be satisfied with what we had, until we gain more, and lose our mean to our way of life.

Wang Lung starts out in the beginning of the novel a man of morals, but turns greedy and selfish, thus leaving an impact on his family. In the novel it states, “It has come out of the earth, this silver, out of this earth I ploughed and turned and spent upon” (p. 35). This quote clearly states that he, Wang Lung, has earned the right to spend his silver, the silver he has clearly earned. Soon after this quote Wang Lung slowly begins his journey to greed and deception, due to the fact he has started to enquire new wealth. Wang Lung’s family later in the novel begins to suffer and change, due to his greed, as when the two sons plot to sell the land he has worked all his life to earn. When the sons then lie and still show signs of proceeding in their plot, a plot sealed with a smile, against their father’s wishes, show how greedy and deceptive this family has become. What is even more outrageous is that this is supposed to be a family, a group of people who love and respect each other, but instead this family, especially the sons of Wang Lung, who hurt the only authority figure they have, the only one they have. How could such a man of morals fall into such a horrible cycle? A cycle beginning with the disrespect of his own father.

Not only does the gain of wealth leave an impact on Wang Lung’s family, but also upon himself. Wang Lung who has been living a life of greed finally realizes that without his land he would have no money, so he states “Where is my hoe and where is my plow? And where is the seed for the wheat planting? Come, Ching, my friend –come- call the men I go out to the land!” (p. 213). This proves that, yes he has become greedy, but he finally sees that his way of life, the life of wealth and greed, is wrong. Although Wang Lung realizes that he was mistaken to act in such a horrible manner, this does not make up for the hurt he has inflicted on the others around him, especially O-lan, and this took a great toll on him. As you read this novel you can actually see the remorse Wang Lung feels for his actions towards the people surrounding him, especially when he realizes that because he changed, so did the others, especially his family.

During the novel Wang Lung changes, this is a fact, but two people, Lotus and Pear Blossom, are bought into his life, further explaining this change. After Wang Lung moves back to his land, due to his new wealth, he starts visiting a luxurious teahouse. It is this teahouse that Wang Lung first spots Lotus, a beautiful woman who “works” there. Only later does Wang Lung realize that he is able to see this woman alone for the right amount of coins. This is what leads Wang Lung down the disturbing path of pleasure. When Wang Lung later purchases this woman, Lotus, he shows his unappealing need for items that are not a necessity. He, Wang Lung does not understand how wrong this diction is, especially since he already has an exceptional woman at home, O-lan. Then, another girl is brought into Wang Lung’s life, a young girl named Pear Blossom. This girl had been traded for some of Wang Lung’s land by her parents, a poor farmer and his wife. Soon Wang Lung and Pear Blossom form a bond and Pear Blossom becomes Wang Lung’s new concubine. This, however, is unacceptable, due to the fact that Pear Blossom is only around the age of 10. At the beginning of the novel Wang Lung would have never used a concubine or bought someone like Lotus, thus further explaining his change throughout the novel.

Throughout the novel you meet many characters, many of whom Wang Lung has mistreated at one point, but the most signifigent of all of these character would be his wife, O-lan. In the beginning of the novel when Wang Lung travels to attain his wife from the House of Hwang he is kind to her, proud to call her his wife. As the novel wears on Wang Lung slowly tears down a strong sophisticated woman, who, until the middle of the book, never shows emotion. Wang Lung had been seeing Lotus, the woman from the teahouse, for weeks. During his families time in the city to the south, O-lan had snuck into a wealthy mans house and taken his precious jewels during a raid. This is what gave Wang Lung the money for his items he did not need, including Lotus, for O-lan had given Wang Lung everything, except for two pearls, with she intended to turn into earring for her daughter when she wed. Later on in the novel though Wang Lung, once again showing his greed takes the pearls from O-lan, to give to Lotus, making O-lan weep. Many may feel that crying is normal, but in the case of O-lan, who never shows emotion, this is a horrible fault on Wang Lung’s part. Wang Lung does not see what a wonderful gift O-lan is, O-lan who in the middle of giving birth made sure that Wang Lung and his father had a warm meal on the table, who through all five births, handled every one as though it was preparing a daily meal, a woman’s duty. Not only until O-lan is on her death bed does Wang Lung truly realize his change and the toll it had taken on everyone surrounding him.

Pearl S. Buck, author of The Good Earth, acknowledges the fact that we lose our meaning to our way of life when we gain more, even if we are satisfied with what we have to begin with. The fact that Wang Lung treated everyone as if they were the only person in the room in the beginning of the novel does not make up for the fact he changed into a person with a small disregard to his surroundings. Change is the key word throughout the course of the novel, and Wang Lung went through a change without notice. Some may feel as if Wang Lung changed in a positive way, due to the fact he finally realized that land is the key to all of his success, but this is a mistaken knowledge, for although Wang Lung did realize this fact he noticed too late.