The Good Earth

The novel, The Good Earth, is taken place in the early 20th century. Wang Lung, a farmer, had a very hard life compared to the lives that we live today. Now, in the 21st century, we take short cuts and use our modern technology rather than doing hard labor. The way Wang lives is just the opposite. They didn't have the ability to use powered machinery to do there work for them. Everything was done with bare hands. Wang may have been poor, but he had enough money to survive and be happy. The way the women were treated in the Chinese culture, though, was horrible and appalling campared to the men. We have so many rights of freedom being women now adays in the United States, but back in the 20th century of the Chinese culter, women were treated like slaves. The only way for women to have loyalty and respect was to be wealthy. Most were not of this high ranking. O-lan was not treated by the old mistress the way she should be treated. It was like O-lan had no meaning to the world. Marraige did not mean much because you did not know the person. O-lan was just given to Wang as if he bought her. No woman deserves a life like the one that O-lan has to go through.
Nature seemed to be a big part of Wang's life. " Now it was as if Heaven had chosen this day to wish him well. Earth would bear fruit." (page 2) Rain is what Wang had been praying to come so that his crops could finally grow. It was going to come and Wang could feel it. Nature is what has been guiding Wang this whole time. It is what is keeping him happy. Nature can throw you curveballs sometimes and later in the novel, situations are going to happen where Wang is going to have to rely on fait to get him through it.
Symbolism was all over the place as I read the first chapter of The Good Earth. It went from spring and kitchen, to rain and wind. It is too early in the book to know exactly what the mode of this novel is going to end up being. From what has been said so far I get the feeling that this is going to be a tragedy. It starts off with Wangs life being full of hardships. His father giving him no freedom or guidelines in life. He was, in a way, a slave to his father. He did anything for him when he needed it. When his father told him to make him food, he did. He had no company other than his grouchy father who was always sick. Maybe the reason he needed a wife was for the company and pleasure of having someone in his life. This is just the same as A Jury to Her Peers. Minnie just wanted freedom and company. She was tired of being trapped in a life with big boundaries holding her from the outside world. This is exactly how Wang is feeling.