The Good Earth
Wang Lung is a simple, hardworking Chinese farmer. He is the main character or central figure in the story of 'The Good Earth'. Most of the story is told through his eyes. Wang is warm, believable, and sympathetic. But as a human, he also has his flaws. He is quite temperamental and often acts on impulse and also seems to care too much of what other people may think of him so he tends to give in to situations too easily. He depends greatly on his wife O-lan who gives him strength and decisiveness. As he grows older he only finds peace in his land. The land is his livelihood, his security and the source from which he draws spiritual refreshment. O-lan could be characterized as the most appealing character in the book. She doesn't really express herself through words but one can learn a great deal of her thoughts and feelings from her actions. Her poor parents sold her to the great Hwang household at the age of ten, during a famine. O-lan was a good worker and so was kept as a kitchen slave. When she turned twenty, she was sold to be Wang Lung's wife. She is quick and thorough in performing her household duties, so that she has more time to do what is expected of her. Although
The eldest son's wife, proper and conventional, urges her husband on in his aspiration toward upper-class status. The second son's bride is a hearty, robust village girl with a lively, unconventional style. The two women bicker constantly, sharpening the underlying feud between their husbands and depriving the household of the peace that Wang longs for. Later when Wang moves back to his farm and establishes himself financially, he moves his family to the House of Hwang located within the town. It is an elegant Chinese mansion with carved furniture and screens, courtyard after courtyard planted with flowering trees, and a goldfish or lily pond in its center.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Wang Lung, Wang Lung's, Status Women, Lotus Flower, Son Wang, Eldest Son, Flower Lotus, Son Unlike, Lung's Daughters-in-Law, O-lan O-lan, wang lung's, wang lung, wang family, lotus flower, plans sell land, lung's father, pear blossom, uncle's family, eldest son, status women, wang lung's father, plans sell,
Approximate Word count = 2063
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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