FREE ESSAY ON THE GOOD EARTH-WANG LUNG

THE GOOD EARTH-WANG LUNG

Rough Draft: The Good Earth
The Good Farmer
A simple, hardworking Chinese farmer is all he is. But there is more to this simple
farmer, he is not just a common character in this book, but a universal figure, an
example of people that have tilled the earth throughout the ages. Wang Lung in Pearl
Buck's The Good Earth is a Chinese farmer and a loving father who is grateful of the
things he has.
Wang Lung is a very good father with good morals and sticks to his upbringing and
culture. He treats his sons well and when they misbehave or disrespect him they get what
is coming to them. The only real flaw that he has as being a father is with his "poor
fool", he doesn't acknowledge her because she is different, retarded and has other things
to worry about. He is a better father when he has nothing especially when he decides not
to sell his daughter into slavery when they need the money. When he gets rich all that he
can think about is himself and puts his kids out of the way.
As a farmer, Wang Lung is very successful and is loathed by the other farmers. He is very
hardworking when it comes to his farm when he is poor because he needs every penny he can
earn. He takes nothing for granted and makes sure that he thanks the gods for the good
harvest. Even though he has people to work for him, he feels that he needs to be outside
with the earth when he farms. He never complained about the backbreaking work that he did
all for his family.
When Wang Lung was poor, he was very humble in everything he did. One good example is
when him and his family went to the city, he decided not to beg for money, but to earn it
by doing what he has been doing his entire life - working. He also accepted everything
that he had and did not ask for more. When he got something he never complained that it
was too much or too little.
Wang Lung is a very admirable character that shows human flaws that all people have. He
is a figure in this book that is universal to all common peasants of now and the past. He
is a humble person, a good farmer and a good father.