Character Analysis Of Wang Lung In The Good Earth

In the novel The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck, the protagonist, Wang Lung is overwhelmed by the society in which he lives. His overpowering society eventually causes him to lose touch with himself and succumb to society's many pressures. He ultimately separates himself from his loved ones and creates a sad and lonely life for himself due to all the coercion of his society. In the beginning of the novel, Wang Lung is a poor single man living in his father's house. He is not, by any means, well known in his village. Buck portrays his lack of involvement in society and his ordinariness through his traditional ponytail and his relationship with his wife, O-lan. As his life advances and he grows more successful, Wang Lung begins to establish a …show more content…
Buck utilizes his relationship with O-lan to express his downfall into his society. When Wang Lung grows into a prestigious figure, he becomes embarrassed by his unattractive wife with unbound feet and begins pushing her away. He becomes extremely successful and he hires workers to labor the land for him. Because of this, he has endless amounts of time on his hands. With nothing to do but eat, sleep, and observe his family, he begins to look at the life he has made for himself. Buck writes of the thoughts going through his …show more content…
At first, Wang Lung stays true to himself and does not let anyone persuade him to care about society's views on his life; as Buck shows through his hairstyle and his relationship with his wife. As he introduces himself into society, his life goes downhill. He begins to make his decisions solely based on his surrounding society’s views. He turns his once simple and happy life into a miserable and lonely life; all of his new relationships are strictly physical. In the novel, Buck portrays Wang Lung's defeat by society through his hairstyle and his relationship with