The Good Earth-Thoughts&Questions

A. Thoughts
-relates to characteristics in the story
1. Since Wang Lung is a farmer, he correlates the weather with his life deeply. For example, a wind blew smoothly and has a rain on his marriage day. He thought it is a fortunate omen because the most important thing to him is a fruitful harvest.
2. An old man totally depends upon his son for support. He does not make food by himself and bothers his son until a son makes food for him.
3. Wang Lung tends his father with filial piety but sometimes feels annoyed with him. For instance, he said, “that old head thinks of nothing except his eating and his drinking.” Besides, there is also a sentence which narrates his feeling: “it was the last morning he would have to prepare food for the old man.”
4. Wang Lung expects that he could enjoy a comfort and take a rest if he gets married since his wife would work for him. It means that he is thinking about all things which he can get from his wife. He never thinks about how he could do for her comfort and pleasure.
-relates to the phases of the ages in the story
5. Tea was very valuable at that time. An old man said that “Tea is like eating silver”. It was an impressive part because I could know how expensive and precious tea was.
6. At that time, in China, social classes existed. The old lady, an owner of a woman was included in the highest class and Wang Lung and his wife are included in a low class.
7. A man and a woman can get married without meeting each other. Wang Lung and his wife did not see each other even once before they got married. I was surprised at it because in modern society, people usually decide their marriage after meeting and getting to know each other.
8. There was not a wedding ceremony which is celebrated in front of people. Wang Lung’s ceremony was very simple. They went to the temple and lighted the sticks of incense. It was all for his ceremony.
9. At this era, Chinese women have to bind their feet.
10. Women were not treated on the same value as men. Women were not respected.

B. Questions
1. How could social classes be divided at that era in China?
2. What were wedding customs at that era in China?
3. Why didn’t the woman in the story(O-lan) bind her foot?
4. Why doesn’t the woman express herself?