The Good Earth

Pearl S. Buck was well rewarded with the Pulitzer Prize for her masterful prose in The Good Earth. I have just finished reading the book, but I'm sure that I'll be continuing to discover the impact of the book on my life for years to come.

I was particularly struck by Buck's themes which set a series of dicotomies.

The vitrue of productivity and of saving versus the evil of waste and consumption is a prominent theme. And, Wang Lung, the protagonist of the story, is set in his thrift and work ethic against the laziness and constant spending of others such as his uncle and the Lords of the House of Hwang. Wang Lung ends up climbing from abject poverty to a position of riches and prominence largely because of his values...this is not discounting providence.

The cathartic and healing virtue of the land is set against the corrupt and vile nature of the towns and cities. Wang Lung returns time and again to the Land in order to clear his mind and heal all that ailed him. The land possesses a mystical quality. Even in the very end, Wang returns to the land in order to die in peace; however, the tragic truth of the future overshadows the goodness of the Land. The land possesses true value and is the true measure of wealth for Wang Lung.

The difficulties and trials that women go through in this life as a result of poor decisions and a lack of self control on the part of men is made clear. Olan, Wang Lung's wife, is, while not a supermodel of beauty, a vitruous and dependable wife. After bearing Wang Lung children, significantly contributing to the wealth of the household, and enabling the family to survive the drought, Olan is forced aside by a dainty beauty who stirred passion within Wang Lung. I'm not sure if the lessen here is for men or women. I think that while men should obviously treat there wife with dignity and truly love her, wives must recognize the ongoing importance of her desirability. The dicotomy between the physically desirable and the self sacrifice of love is a hard thing. Throughout the book, the physically desirable wins horribly again and again, and Buck states again and again that men are not unique.

I would heartily recommend this book set in pre-revolutionary China for it's insights on life and it's superb readability. I look forward to seeing how the book impacts my life.