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Although the story of Lu Wang and his life is one of fiction, it is more specifically realistic fiction. These events could happen in real life. My interpretation of the theme is that it encourages hard work. Lu Wang worked faithfully for many, many years. He had incredible good fortune, and that will not happen to everyone. But, through the words of Pearl S. Buck, it is apparent to me that hard work was a theme. Looking past this one book, Buck seems to have developed a Chinese theme throughout her many works. This is not surprising, for she lived much of her life in
China. Her books East Wind: West Wind, Imperial Women, Pavilion of Women, Letter from Peking, and more all have reoccurring Chinese themes. This book overall was about a man, and his climb to success. This Chinese man’s name was Wang Lung. At the beginning of the book, Wang Lung was a poor farmer preparing to be wed to a slave of the Great House of Hang. He had next to nothing to offer, but left the house with a wife by the name of O-Lana. She was a great wife. Together, they had many healthy children, and overcame many challenges.
Apart room the theme of hard work, I also noticed the economic hardships that Wang Lung and his wife had to endure. At this time, the thing that most showed one’s worth was the owning of land. Once Wang Lung had worked his pre-existing land to its end, he used his money to purchase more. With this newly bought land, he planted new crops and again earned money. This purchasing of land and gaining wealth from it was a pattern in the story. To Wang Lung, I believe that the thing he treasured most, over even his own sons maybe, was his land.
His blood, sweat, and tears went into he ground, and that was the foundation of his wealth. On the last page of the book, Wang Lung says, “It is the end of a family – when they begin to sell the land… Out of the land we came and into it we must go?and if you will hold your land you can live ?no one can rob you of land… Elf you sell the land, it is the end. ” This story displayed the struggle of starting at the bottom, and ending at the top. However, this good fortune came with a price. Wang Lung began at the beginning of the story despising the rich and their ways.
He believed that it was unfair to have so any people suffering and have a few living like kings. He noticed the concubines Tanat Taller ten Great House Ana ten greedy Ana selects ways AT ten men In ten noose. He detested these ways. At the end of the story, he became that person. Although he was not as severe, he still was a shadow of what he loathed in the beginning. He had mistresses, slaves, many dishes served to him daily. He had sons who were scholars, and he had silk slippers to match his silk robe. He slowly became what he could not bear at the start.
This story displayed the cycle of economics and politics. One will always be above others, as the way it has been, and the way it will be. The book as a whole was mostly enjoyable for me. It at first was only an assignment, so I was weary to begin reading it. But when I actually got into the story, I started to enjoy myself. The book at times was a little hard to follow, for I couldn’t understand all of the language. I eventually caught on to the speech patterns, but this never happened until the middle of the book. I think the word that I would use to describe this book would be descriptive.
Every thought, vision, smell, sound, and taste as elaborately described through Wang Lung. I liked the way that the author could afford to be this detailed but not lose me as the audience. There was still a story line along with the little details. For the most part, I didn’t incorporate my own feelings in with the author’s. I mostly Just accepted what was written and didn’t argue the opinions or anything. I like the way that every started thought and topic was completed. There weren’t any lose ends, except for the very last sentence; “But over the old man’s head they looked at each other and smiled.
This is talking about Wang Lungs sons promising not to sell the land. I was slightly confused there. It was one of those endings where I was scrambling through the book trying to find another page thinking “it can’t end there. ” But apart from the sudden ending, I followed quite well and enjoyed what I read. This book really opened my eyes to the problems in the world around me. Vive never really been one to take an active part in “the big picture. ” Honestly, I can’t recall who half of the people running our government are. But I have never been so interested in a political-based book.
When the sons of Wang Lung were discussing selling the land, I realized that the cycle was starting over: the falling of the head house, a more capable man taking over, then that house falling once again. This book really didn’t change my opinion of China during that time period, given I didn’t have much of an opinion about that anyway. But it was nice to know what sort of thing went on. I can truthfully say that I sat on my bed after reading the last page, and I actually thought about what I Just read. I thought about all of the alternate outcomes of Wang Lung coming to power.
I thought of all the effects of his “reign” and I thought about if he had been ruling all of China. This was a book that really made me stop and think. This is not a book to be read by someone who is not willing to sit through a few slow chapters. To me, the story is comparable to a lollipop. One has to eat the outside to get to the chewy middle, and this is like the story. There are some dry parts, but the book as a whole is very well written. The characters are well developed, and Buck ally painted a vivid picture in my mind.
I could see the things happening in my head as I read the page. This takes a skilled author to be able to create images in the readers’ mind. Pearl S. Buck did this for me. The story is entertaining and interesting while still educational. It takes a lot of critical thinking to completely appreciate the KICK, out I was surprisingly pleased Walt tans story. When at TLS seeing ten KICK, expected to have to endure this story. But I was deceived by the cover. The story within was so much better than I had expected.