Table of Contents
What is the message of The Good Earth?
Man’s Relationship to the Earth The overarching theme of The Good Earth is the nourishing power of the land. Throughout the novel, a connection to the land is associated with moral piety, good sense, respect for nature, and a strong work ethic, while alienation from the land is associated with decadence and corruption.
What is the mood of The Good Earth?
Mood: The novel, The Good Earth, shows a very pleasant mood in the beginning but turns out tragic, sorrowful as well as ironic, and didactic at some places. Motif: Most important motifs of the novel, The Good Earth, are birth, religion, death, and life.
What is the role of tradition in The Good Earth?
The role of tradition plays an important part in Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth as it the characters live their life around the customs. It especially shapes Wang Lung’s life as he followed certain practices, but defied others that he did not feel were so important to him.
What literary devices are used in The Good Earth?
Literary Devices in The Good Earth
- Simile. “Why are you Wasteful?
- Symbolism. “She was, after all, only a woman” (Buck 29).
- Imagery. “The old man grasped the bowl in his shriveled, knotty fingers, muttering, uttering little grunts” (Buck 4).
- Metaphor.
- Hyperbole.
- Irony.
- Foreshadowing.
- Simile.
What are some symbols in the good earth?
The Good Earth Symbols
- The House of Hwang. The House of Hwang represents the wealth and respect to which Wang Lung aspires, but also the danger of excess and degeneracy that goes along with it.
- The Land. This novel centers around the land more than anything, as indicated by the title.
- Opium.
- The Pearls.
How does the land affect Wang Lung?
To Wang Lung, land is more valuable than anything because it is always constant. It is something that can never be taken away from him unlike food or money. Earth 12: When people in the city become fearful, the city life becomes more and more unbearable to Wang Lung who constantly yearns for the land.
Why does Wang Lung Love land?
Not only does Wang Lung depend on the land for food and income, but he also needs it for his own mental well-being. While he’s in the city to the south, he realizes he can’t be happy when he’s away from his land.
What happens to Lotus in the good earth?
Lotus gets old and fat, so Wang Lung doesn’t come to see her anymore; after that, all Lotus and Cuckoo do is sit around and gossip together.
What are the reasons for Wang Lung to want a wife?
Moreover, when his son reaches sexual maturity and begins to struggle with sexual longing, Wang Lung cannot bring himself to buy a female slave for him, a common and accepted practice for rich families. Instead, he resolves to find a wife for his son.
What does land symbolize in The Good Earth?
This novel centers around the land more than anything, as indicated by the title. Wang Lung feels deeply connected to the earth, and it symbolizes life in all its forms as Wang Lung’s life literally depends on it.
Who is the protagonist of The Good Earth?
Wang Lung
Wang Lung. The protagonist of The Good Earth. He begins life as a poor farmer and marries O-lan, a slave owned by the Hwang family. Wang Lung maintains a fierce attachment to the land.
Who is the antagonist in The Good Earth?
Wang Lung doesn’t have any opposition. He gets everything that he wants. He gets a wife, he gets sons, he gets rich, and he gets another wife.
How does Wang Lung change in The Good Earth?
The problem is that as he gets older, Wang Lung goes back to the land less and less often. Eventually, things get out of control, and nothing he does can fix it. His only saving grace is that when he gets old he reverts back to his youth and returns to the farm.
How does Wang Lung’s father react to O-lan?
Is tea an everyday occasion in Wang Lung’s household? How does Wang Lung’s father react to O-lan? APPEARS TO BE NICE BUT IS SECRETLY ANGRY WITH THE SITUATION. APPEARS NOT TO NOTICE HER.
Why did Wang Lung decide to send his sons to school?
He decides to send his eldest son to school so that he can deal with the contracts for his father. When Wang Lung announces his decision to his son, the boy is overjoyed.