The Good Earth Synopsis

The event in this story takes place in the province of Anhwei. In this story, the main character is Wang Lung. He is a young man that is also the son of a poor farmer. When the story begins, the main character, Wang Lung lives in an isolated, illiterate community with his old father. Other characters in the story are Wang Lungs first and second wife, Olan and Lotus, his father, his two male sons, his daughters and his servants Cuckoo and Ching. One of these characters is Lung’s uncle. Lung’s uncle is in a gang of robbers. In order to protect himself and his family, Lung supports his uncle’s family, which consists of his uncle’s wife and son.

The events take place throughout the course of Wang Lung’s life. The story began when Wang Lung is about to marry a slave from the Great House of Hwang, the leading family in the region. With his father’s encouragement, Wang Lung marries an ugly slave by the name of Olan. Olan helped Wang Lung tremendously. She cooked, cleaned and farmed. Olan also bored Lung two sons and one daughter before the province of Anhwei experienced a famine. As a result of the famine, Lung and his family headed to the south. On their journey to the south, Olan had a stillbirth. She later bored twins — a boy and a girl. When they reached the south, Wang Lung pulled a rickshaw while his wife and his kids begged the rich for money for their survival. Wang Lung and his family fate turned around when the common fellow robs the rich Nanking house in the south. Olan found jewelry while Wang Lung got silver and gold from one of the lords. With money and jewelry in their hands, Lung and his family returned back home to the land. With his newly acquired wealth, Lung marries Lotus, a young singsong from the teahouse. He also takes care of his uncle and his uncle family. Wang Lung hires laborers to form his land. He hires Ching to oversee the laborers. He sends his son to school. Wang Lung also marries his sons and daughters before he died.

Throughout the story, Wang Lung is faced with a lot of obstacles. In my opinion, one of the major conflict in the story that Wang Lung faces his tolerating his uncle and his uncle’s family. I met Wang Lung’s uncle when Wang Lung invited him to dinner to celebrate buying Olan from the House of Hwang. Olan and Wang Lung got married, had two sons and one daughter. After the birth of Wang Lung’s sons, he was prosperous but when he had a daughter, the town of Anhwei experienced a famine. When the famine occurred, Wang Lung’s uncle came to him to ask for food but he didn’t have any. Wang Lung’s uncle then turned against him. Wang Lung’s uncle told the people of the village that Wang Lung had silver, gold and money causing them to break into Wang Lung’s home only to find the little that he had. As a result of the famine, Wang Lung moved his family to the south that was said to be prosperous. Wang Lung found work pulling a rickshaw while his wife, his father and his kids begged passersby for money. Wang Lung and Olan found gold, silver and jewelry when they robbed the rich Nanking house. After finding these riches, Wang Lung returned to Anhwei only to be welcomed by his uncle who forced himself into Wang Lang’s home. Wang Lung took care of his uncle until he got tired and tried to kick him out. After discovering that his uncle was in a gang that consisted of robbers and killers, Wang Lung allowed his uncle and his uncle’s family to live with him. Wang Lung and his sons then came up with an idea to get rid of his uncle and his uncle’s family. Wang Lung began to provide his uncle and his uncle’s wife with opium. Wang Lung also encouraged his uncle’s son to go to war. Soon after Wang Lung’s cousin came back from war, Wang Lung’s uncle and aunt died. Wang Lung was free of the burden that was placed on him by his overbearing uncle and his uncle’s family.

The main character, Wang Lung tries his best to provide for his family. Before Wang Lung married Olan, he took care of his old father. After marrying Olan, Wang Lung worked along side her in the field so that his sons and daughters will be able to eat. When the province of Anhwei experienced a famine, Wang Lung moved his family to south. During the journey to the south when they didn’t have much but a few pence, Wang Lung would buy food and give some to his wife, his father and sometimes his poor fool. When Wang Lung reached the south, he worked as a rickshaw. The money that he received from pulling a rickshaw and the money that Olan and the kids got from begging allowed them to buy bowls of rice each day. After finding wealth, Wang Lung moved his family back to Anhwei. He hired laborers, married a singsong by the name of Lotus, send his sons to school, marries his daughters and took care of his neighbor, Ching and his uncle and his uncles family. He also lent to people of the village. As you can see, Wang Lung does tries his best to take care of his family and the people around him.

The efforts of the main character, Wang Lung to secure the land that he have are frustrated by his sons (the antagonists) who desires/wants to disown their father occupation as a farmer. The antagonists tries to frustrate the protagonist because they don’t share the same commitment to the land as Wang Lang does. On page 319, the author states that, “As for Wang Lung’s son, there was a continual unrest, the eldest son lest not enough be spent the eldest son belittled in the eyes of men and lest the villagers come walking through the great gate when a man from the town was there to call, and so make them ashamed before him; and the second son lest there was waste and money gone; and the youngest son striving to make repair the years he had lost as a farmer’s son.” The quote is used to signify Wang Lung’s sons dislike for the land. Wang Lung’s sons are modernized and proud. The main character, Wang Lung tries his best to convince his sons that when famine, flood, locust and bandits victimized them, they will still have the land but came to no avail. Wang Lung’s sons are contemptuous of Wang Lung and his antique belief.

As the protagonist ages, he became forgetful. One of the slaves, Pearl Blossom who he had become accustomed to tried to warn him of his sons. However, Wang Lung cannot comprehend what she was saying to him until it was too late. One day, Wang Lung’s two eldest sons came to visit him. As the two sons walked about the house on the land, Wang Lung followed silently. As Wang Lung followed his sons, he heard the second son plan to sell the land that his family had for generations for profit. Wang Lung became outraged. He yelled, then choked and could have fallen but his sons caught him. Wang Lung’s son tried to sooth him by telling him that they will never sell the land. Wang Lung strived to tell them the importance of the land but they don’t listen. Wang Lung died. His sons stood over him smiling signifying the beginning of his sons’ rule.

The book, “ The Good Earth” is excellent. It takes places in China. The characters in the books are well described. Each character signifies a personal trait. For example, Wang Lung’s wife, Olan signifies perseverance and faithfulness. No matter what comes Wang Lung’s way, Olan helps and shows her perseverance. One way she shows her perseverance and faithfulness is farming after delivering a child. I will definitely recommend this book to a friend because I believe that they will enjoy the book as I did. The book will also give them a glimpse of people lives in other culture. “The Good Earth” is moving with its dramatic storyline. It will capture their minds and souls and allow them to read and comprehend Wang Lung’s actions throughout his life.