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.