In every story there are dilemnas which the characters have to face. Sometimes they are insignificant and other times they are significant. Without a dilemna, a story would be very dry and boring. The book, "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck is filled with dilemnas as it is the story of one man's life.
"The Good Earth" is the story of Wang Lung, who is a farmer living in China during the reign of the last emperor. Throughout this story there are many dilemnas. Unlike most stories where there is just one main dilemna, this story has a collection of dilemnas, which is basically the way life is.
The novel begins with Wang Lung waking up on the day of his marriage. His soon-to-be wife is a slave from the great House of Hwang where she has been since her childhood. Wang Lung is a poor peasant farmer who had had to work his entire life. Today he would have to go to the great house to get his wife, O-lan. Wang Lung has never met his wife before this day, but upon meeting her, he saw that she was plain looking, dull, and slow. As time passed, he began to appreciate her because she was resourceful and hard working which was very useful because he was only a peasant farmer. As more time passes, O-lan tells Wang Lung that she is pregnant, and later gives birth to a baby boy and delivers the baby herself. Most people in that time period and in China consider a baby boy to be good luck so Wang Lung is quite happy. Since O-lan came into his house, Wang Lung seemed to have more good luck and he has good harvests so when winter came, he was ready. Now Wang Lung has a surplus of silver that he now has to hide in a hole in his bedroom.
On the second day after New Year, O-lan visits the House of Hwang to show off her first born baby. The great house, unlike Wang Lung, is losing its prosperity so Wang Lung decides to buy some of their land with the silver he had hidden in the hole in his bedroom. In spring, all seems to be going well for Wang Lung, as O-lan gives birth to another boy and harvests are good. Also he once more, hides silver in the hole in his room. As a result of his prosperity, Wang Lung's status in the village grows.
After hearing of Wang Lung's prosperity, his uncle, a lazy old man, comes to ask to borrow money for his daughter's wedding dowry. Even though Wang Lung knows his uncle will never pay him back, Wang Lung gives him the money because of obligation as a relative. On the very same day, O-lan gives birth to a child but this time, it is a girl. Because of Chinese culture, Wang Lung is struck with a sudden sense of evil by this girl.
Now it seems Wang Lung's good luck had run out; first his child had been a girl and now, this summer did not bring rain at all, drying all the fields. This is when one of the largest dilemnas in the story surfaces. Because of the lack of rain, Wang Lung is unable to grow his crops. He still has some silver but the drought is lasting. This drought causes famine to spread through the town. His family is just getting by with a few scraps of food here and there but Wang Lung knows that they cannot last in their current state.
Being a farmer, Wang Lung's only income is through his crops but because of this drought, he can no longer harvest. This lack of rain is a dilemna to Wang Lung, because now he can no longer provide for his family the money and food they need. They begin to starve and Wang Lung needs to find a way to feed them so his only choice is to move his family south.
Before he can move his family south, O-lan must first deliver the baby she has been carrying because she would not be able to deliver the baby while they are traveling. The baby is born dead however. With the baby gone, one of their many problems has been solved so Wang Lung decides that they will leave to the south the day after. The day after, Wang Lung's uncle comes to convince Wang Lung to sell his land but he refuses to sell it because he is sure that he will return. Wang Lung and his family walk through the town, seeing its deadness. They had planned to walk all the way down south but had realized it would be very difficult because they also had no food. Luckily, they had learned of a train that could take them to a southern city for just a fee of a small silver piece. With the little money he had, Wang Lung was able to pay the fee and take the train. They arrive at the southern city and build a hut made of a few mats. The hut is made along the wall of a big house, along with other huts made by more outsiders to the city. To feed themselves, the children and O-lan must beg for money while Wang Lung works as a ricksha puller.
If I was in the same situation as Wang Lung, stuck in my house starving because of a drought, I would do as he did. I think moving away was the only way for his family to survive because if he had stayed, the drought could have continued and his whole family would be starved to death.
When confronted with the option of selling the land I would sell some but not all of the land. I would because I think Wang Lung had a lot to spare. Also, the silver from the land could have been kept so that later, when the drought is over, he could go back to his land and have enough money to start over again. This is one of the things I would have done differently than Wang Lung.
I think Wang Lung's decision to take the train was a good choice and in his place, I would have done the same. Without the train, they most likely, would have never been able to get the city because they would not have any food. However, the train being there was just plain luck and I think Wang Lung should have been more aware of the fact that they would not be able to make the trip starving. I would have traveled earlier, when they had enough food just to make sure that my family could make it to the south.
Wang Lung's family becoming beggars was the only way for them to have enough money to eat because they were in a new town without a property. So I would have done the same.
In this time of great need, Wang Lung handled himself and his family well. Although there are some things that I would have done differently, I think if you really put me in that place, I would have reacted similar to Wang Lung because of pressure. Overall, Wang Lung made very good and just decisions but I think without the luck that he had, he would not have been able to survive.
This is the complete article, containing 1,238 words
(approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page).
