The good earth chapter 1 summary. The Good Earth: Character List 2022-12-15
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The Good Earth is a novel by Pearl S. Buck that tells the story of a Chinese farmer named Wang Lung and his family. In chapter 1, we are introduced to Wang Lung and his wife, O-Lan, as they prepare to celebrate the New Year.
Wang Lung is a poor but hardworking farmer who lives in a small village in China. He is happy with his simple life and is content with the little he has. His wife, O-Lan, is a strong and capable woman who helps him with the farm work and takes care of the household.
The chapter begins with Wang Lung waking up early on the morning of the New Year to sweep the courtyard of his house. This is a tradition in his village, as it is believed to bring good luck for the coming year. He then goes to the market to buy food for the celebrations and meets his uncle, who is a wealthy merchant.
Wang Lung's uncle offers to buy him a gift for the New Year, but Wang Lung insists on paying for it himself. He is proud of his independence and does not want to be indebted to his uncle. After returning home, Wang Lung and O-Lan prepare a feast for the celebration. They invite their neighbors and relatives to join them, and everyone has a good time eating and chatting.
As the evening comes to a close, Wang Lung and O-Lan retire to their bedroom, where they discuss their plans for the coming year. Wang Lung is hopeful that the new year will bring good fortune and prosperity to their family. O-Lan, on the other hand, is more practical and reminds Wang Lung of the hard work that lies ahead.
In conclusion, chapter 1 of The Good Earth introduces us to the main characters of the novel and sets the stage for the story to come. We see that Wang Lung is a hardworking and independent farmer who values his family and traditions. O-Lan is a strong and capable woman who helps him with the farm work and takes care of the household. The chapter ends with Wang Lung and O-Lan looking forward to the new year with hope and determination.
The Good Earth Chapter 29 Summary & Analysis
He makes her his concubine, and when the youngest son finds out, he runs away to the army. They are to attend a school run by an old teacher who beats his students with a fan. That evening, guests arrive, relatives and other farmers. He has invited guests for the evening, and this is for the meal. Wang Lung recoils at the thought because he is fond of his daughter. With the silver coins from their previous harvest, Wang purchases the land. There is talk in the village about his prosperity, and with that Wang Lung's mooching uncle comes around and asks for money.
He decides to eat something first, so he goes to a restaurant and eats noodles. O-lan and the children beg on the streets, while Wang Lung pulls a ricksha rickshaw around the city. He looks forward to having a woman in the house to do the chores, and also looks forward to having many children. Also, he finds comfort in her and soon is overjoyed to learn that she is pregnant. Wang Lung decides he should find his eldest son a wife, but before he can do so, his son becomes moody and refuses to go to school.
Wang, never having been considered a man of wealth, is pleased and rewards the beggar. Wang likes this idea, and the entire family — except Wang's uncle and aunt — move; Wang's uncle's son goes to join the war. On their way home, Wang Lung buys O-lan green peaches, possessions she eagerly guards and which attest to the scarcity she is coming from. It is during this time that O-lan and Wang's elderly father both die and are buried. Wang Lung is forced to take his family to a southern city for the winter. She has a terrible temper.
The green peaches might represent the newness of their relationship -- not yet ripe. He tends quickly to his old father, excited that these chores will now be the job of his new wife. Wang Lung works his fields in long-established ways; farming is thus a sort of through-line for Wang Lung to his most distant ancestors. Buck even mentions a connection between farming one's land and worshipping household gods. He becomes obsessed with Lotus, a beautiful, delicate prostitute with bound feet. Her parents had sold her when she was ten, in a year of great famine, and she has since lived in the House of Hwang. He fears that if the slave is too good-looking, she may have already lost her virginity.
Wang Lung puts some tea leaves in the water, and his father protests that tea is too expensive for this use. The Old Mistress confirms that O-lan is a virgin. The rains come at the right time and in the right amount, so they have a harvest so great that Wang Lung has to hire two more men to bring it in. The household further grows when Wang's uncle and aunt and their son forcibly move themselves into Wang's house. Wang Lung enters the city gate, passing a man selling peaches. She even interrupts her labor in order to prepare the evening meal for Wang Lung and his father.
The Mistress speaks of Wang Lung notices with disappointment that his wife's feet are not bound and that her face is indeed as plain as was rumored. This paper observes the struggle for life of East Asia people that was portrayed in the novel The Good Earth. The poor farmer Wang Lung and his father have lived alone in a small house since his mother passed away six years ago. The naïve Wang readily opens his purse to show the gatekeeper that he does not have much money to offer. Before his wedding, Wang Lung washes and employs a man to shave his face and head.
Instead, O-lan sells them all the furniture in the house. Wang Lung feels irritated at the household tasks he has to do, but he never considers that his wife might also find them irritating. In time, Wang Lung is surrounded by grandchildren, but he is also surrounded by petty family disagreements. Then he goes to the market and buys two pounds of pork and six ounces of beef, and other supplies. Wang Lung is a simple man; however, he has a desire for some of the finer things in life, for example, a pretty wife. On his way home, he receives word that Ching is dying. When Ching dies, Wang Lung weeps and arranges a funeral and mourning fitting for one better than a servant.
Chapter One Summary Wang Lung is a young farmer who is ready to take a wife for marriage. He takes it as a good omen. Arriving in an unnamed city in the south, Wang and his family support themselves by O-lan and the children begging for food and Wang hiring himself out as a ricksha driver. In the early summer, O-lan takes to joining her husband, hoeing in the fields. Together, Wang Lung and O-lan cultivate a bountiful and profitable harvest from their land. One night, Wang Lung discovers that O-lan has been guarding a handful of jewels that she stole from the wealthy house in the city. O-lan prepares a delicious dinner, and everyone eats heartily.
Wang Lung has the new laborer brought before him and beats him. O-lan gives birth to twins shortly thereafter. The time comes for him to request his bride at the Great House of Hwang. She is retarded and never learns to speak. He usually waits to hear his father coughing and opening his door, but today Wang Lung gets up immediately and looks out the window. When the time comes for O-lan to give birth, she refuses all help and insists on being alone. O-lan relates to Wang her suspicion that the great House of Hwang is having financial difficulties, so much so that the House is looking to sell a portion of its land.
They increasingly speak of revolt. Wang Lung hands over more money. His father returns to ask for food. During the time in which the novel takes place, Chinese society is showing signs of modernization while remaining deeply connected to ancient traditions and customs. In the 21st century, gender equality is seen a basic requirement for civilization, yet gender inequality still exists. In fact, a major reason for him to get married is so that someone else can take on the burden of the housework. Cuckoo was beautiful in her youth, so the Old Master took her as his concubine while O-lan worked as a kitchen slave.
