The Good Earth

Wang Lung provides opium to Uncle and his wife. It has the intended effect. They sit all day and smoke the drug. Uncle’s son, however, still causes trouble by casting lustful eyes on the maid servants. The older son suggests that they move inside the city gates into the old House of Hwang, which is available. Wang Lung recognizes this as a complete reversal of fortunes. He had gone to the great house as a pauper the first time, and now he has the wherewithal to purchase it.

Wang Lung goes to his second-born son, who works at the grain dealer, to ask what he thinks of the idea. His son says it’s good because it’ll give him the opportunity to get married. He describes his ideal wife. Wang Lung realizes that he has paid virtually no attention to his second-born son. He resolves to find exactly the wife the younger son requests.

He goes to the Hwang House, remembering what he saw and did there. Now, common people live in the front courtyard. He sees the old caretaker’s wife guarding a locked gate and tells her he might buy the house. Wang Lung enters the interior court and sits in the chair that Mistress Hwang used. He realizes his life has come full circle. He exclaims that he intends to buy the house.

Having decided to purchase the city house, he moves quickly. The question is whom to move there. Part of Wang Lung wants to remain in his country house. He moves his two sons and their servants into the city house. Uncle, his wife, his son, Wang Lung’s youngest son, Wang Lung, and his older daughter remain in the country house.

Uncle’s son comes to Wang Lung, saying that he has heard of a war up north and is going to fight. He asks Wang Lung for silver to buy clothes, provisions, and a rifle, which he calls a “firestick.” Wang Lung feigns distress, saying that Uncle is getting older and something might happen to Uncle’s son. The boy brushes him off and goes anyway, which delights Wang Lung. When Uncle’s wife complains, Wang Lung presents her with some fresh opium and lights her pipe.

The time draws near for his first grandchild’s birth. When his daughter-in-law goes into labor, Wang Lung goes to several temples, lights incense, and makes promises to the gods. He explains to the gods what he’ll do for them if the grandchild is a boy. The child is a grandson. His son plans a grand welcoming ceremony, inviting everyone he knows to the city house.

Wang Lung hears that Ching lies close to death. He rushes out to the old farmhouse. There, he beats a new worker whose ignorance indirectly caused Ching to fall ill. Ching calls out from his deathbed, and Wang Lung holds Ching’s hand as he dies. Wang Lung buys an expensive casket and buries Ching just outside the gate of the family cemetery. Then, he moves everyone to the city house. Wang Lung feels himself growing older. He leases out all his land to tenant farmers.

Now that he wants peace more than anything, Wang Lung finds peace only in his firstborn grandchild. His sons disagree with one another. The eldest wants to renovate the house and persuades his father to buy furnishings. In addition, the son wants to evict the commoners who rent the front courtyards. The younger son, now a prosperous merchant, tells his father that the older brother spends too much money. Wang Lung struggles to mediate between the brothers.

The oldest brother tells his father that the youngest of the three brothers wants to learn to read and has no desire to be a farmer. Wang Lung calls the youngest brother, verifies that this is true, and decides that he wants nothing more to do with the boy. He arranges a tutor for him.

He calls in his second-born son and tells him that he’ll keep an account of all their funds going forward. At his wedding, the middle brother is parsimonious, sometimes to the embarrassment of his older brother.

After five years and seven grandchildren, a very cold winter comes. Wang Lung’s uncle dies. According to custom, Wang Lung buries him in the family cemetery. Uncle’s wife, who was once fearsome, is now frail, skinny, and old. She lies in bed, smoking her opium pipe constantly.

Wang Lung hears of a war in the south. His second son tells him that the price of grain is shooting up because of the conflict. He advises hanging onto their grain to sell it at a higher price.

One day, as Wang Lung stands with his firstborn grandson at the gate, soldiers march down the street carrying rifles with bayonets. Wang Lung tells his grandson to go inside and lock the gates when Uncle’s son calls out. The son comes in with many soldiers. Wang Lung learns that he must billet them. He moves his family into the inner courts to protect them from the soldiers, who make a great mess of everything.

They can’t restrict Uncle’s son, however. Uncle’s son goes to see his mother. Although disgusted by her, he says nothing. He stares at all the other women lustily. Cuckoo says that they must give him an enslaved woman to satisfy him. Wang Lung decides to let him choose the servant he wants, and he names the tiny, youngest enslaved woman, Pear Blossom, whom Wang Lung bought out of pity. She begs Wang Lung not to make her go to Uncle’s son. Wang Lung tricks him into taking an older, more willing servant by telling him the younger girl has a desperate, contagious illness.

About a month later, the soldiers move out. The older servant is pregnant. Uncle’s son says that the good thing about being a soldier is leaving one’s children behind so that others must care for them.

Wang Lung still can’t find peace in his house. Now, his daughters-in-law feud, which adds to the animosity between the brothers, who don’t trust one another. Uncle’s wife dies, and Wang Lung provides a casket and burial for her.

The pregnant servant gives birth to a girl. Wang Lung is pleased because a male child would have had a claim in the household. Wang Lung gives the servant girl a dowry and marries her to the foolish young worker he beat when Ching died.

His youngest son comes to him, saying that he wants to be a soldier and fight in the war. He spent time among the soldiers when they billeted in the city house. Wang Lung tries to talk him out of it. The son explains that a great revolution is coming to free all the land. Wang Lung points out that everything the son has is because of Wang Lung’s land. He tries to interest him in marriage. The son says that the only attractive one is Pear Blossom, the young, enslaved woman Wang Lung saved from Uncle’s son. After they speak, Wang Lung feels animosity and jealousy because he realizes that he finds Pear Blossom attractive too. The joy he had with Lotus is gone. He rarely goes to her. He resents her because Lotus is hostile and abusive toward Pear Blossom, who is now her servant.

Wang Lung sits alone in the courtyard, realizing that despite his attraction to Pear Blossom, she’s far too young, not even 18. He thinks about matching her up with his youngest son, which seems appropriate. As night falls, he hears someone and realizes that it’s Pear Blossom. He calls and she comes close to him. She senses how he feels about her. Although he starts to say that he’s too old for her, she says she likes older men because they’re kind and young men are fierce. He takes her as his “concubine.”

Cuckoo is first to discover this and, at Wang Lung’s bidding, breaks the news to Lotus. Lotus says that she wants a new servant and several gifts from Wang Lung. His sons come one at a time to see if their father really is with Pear Blossom. The youngest son says, without looking at her, that he’s going away to fight in the wars. The next morning, he leaves without telling anyone.

The passionate relationship between Pear Blossom and Wang Lung is short-lived. Afterward, Pear Blossom stays with him as his servant. He realizes that something awful happened to her. She says that he’s the only man who has ever been good to her; all others have been cruel.

Knowing that the end of his life approaches, Wang Lung realizes that he won’t be able to care for his elder daughter. He entrusts Pear Blossom with a packet of poison to give to his daughter once he dies. Pear Blossom says that she’ll take care of the daughter instead. Wang Lung realizes that he trusts her regardless of what decision she makes.

Wang Lung goes to the family cemetery to view the grave sites. He tells his eldest son to make the arrangements for his casket and decides not to stay in the big house anymore. Instead, he moves his casket to the country house, taking Pear Blossom, his eldest daughter, and several servants with him.

Periodically, his two older sons come to visit him. He learns that his second son will open his own grain sales firm and that his older boy is one of the leaders of the town and has taken a second wife. He hears rumors that his third son has become an officer in the military.

One day, the older sons come to see him. Wang Lung is particularly alert and follows them as they walk away. They don’t realize that he’s behind them as they discuss selling his property and running a railroad through the land. Wang Lung cries out that selling the land will break the family forever. His sons assure him that they won’t sell the land. As they say this, however, they look over the top of his head and smile at one another.