The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck

 

Characters

Wang Lung Father O-lan – wife, former slave Nung Em – older son Nung Wem – second son Daughter – does not speak, born during famine Twins – third son and daughter   House of Hwang Old Lord Wife – opium O-lan – slave there Cuckoo – slave   Uncle – younger brother of Wang Lung’s father Aunt Nephew   Ching – neighbor   Lotus – Wang Lung’s concubine Cuckoo – became her servant Pearl Blossom – Lotus’ maid, Wang Lung’s “love of old age”

 

For discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from the 2005 Pocket Books edition.

1.       Without O-lan, the family would hardly have been able to survive.   Were there any other positive female characters in the novel? 

2.       While O-lan was extremely competent, she was unappreciated by Wang Lung.  For example, when the family left their home and went south, she constructed the hut and took charge of the begging to buy food.  She also worked alongside him in the field and did everything else in the house.  Why didn’t he appreciate her?

3.       O-lan was pregnant in the midst of the famine and the baby girl died upon birth.  Wang Lung saw “two dark, bruised spots” on the baby’s neck (page 87).   Do you think O-lan killed the baby?  Would she have done so if it was a boy?

4.       When Wang Lung wanted to return to their home in the north, O-lan kept telling him to wait because of what she had heard.   How did she know what was going to happen and Wang Lung did not?

 

5.       When the rich family on the other side of the wall from their hut fled and everyone was going into the house and stealing, Wang Lung did not because, “he had never in all his life taken what belonged to another” (page 145).  Why then was he willing to take the gold from the fat man he found lying in his bed in the house? 

6.       When the family returned to their home, they were able to farm their land and became rich.  How did this change Wang Lung? 

7.       When he was rich, he looked at O-lan he thought that “she was a woman whom no man could call other then she was, a dull and common creature, who plodded in silence without thought of how she appeared to others” (page 179).  Why was he unable to appreciate all she had done for him?

8.       What did you think about Wang Lung’s uncle and aunt?  His uncle seemed evil and content to live off of Wang Lung (page 203), but later Wang Lung discovered that the uncle had kept robbers away (page 246-7).  His aunt was the one who told O-lan about Lotus (page 204) and then offered to Wang Lung to negotiate her purchase. 

9.       What did you think of the various family members?  None of the sons seemed particularly ambitious or close to each other, the first two daughters-in-law hated each other, no one was willing to look after or care for the handicapped daughter. 

10.   What do you think happened to the family after the story ended?  Wang Lung told his sons, “It is the end of a family – when they begin to sell the land” (page 385).  The sons promised him they would keep the land, but “over the old man’s head they looked at each other and smiled” (page 385).

11.   At the time this novel was published, the Chinese had not been allowed to immigrate to the United States for 40 years.  How do you think this novel was received by Americans?  Do you think it helped people understand the Chinese culture?

12.   What relevance does this novel have today?