"The Earth" women

Major 2022-03-17 09:01:09

At the end of the film, the male protagonist Wang Long relied on the peach tree planted by his wife Alan on the first day of marriage, and murmured, Alan, you are the earth, which corresponds to the title of the film and also emphasizes that the theme of the film is actually about She is a great female mother in the ordinary. In China, we often compare the "earth" to "mother", so when Pearl Buck named his book after "The Earth", it took Wang Lung and his land as the main line, and Alan Shi, who was as tolerant, tenacious and hopeful as the earth, As the theme, it is not difficult to see that Pearl Buck, who has lived in China for 40 years, does have a deep understanding of Chinese language and Chinese culture.

As a woman, Buck's emphasis on female roles should come as no surprise. But Pearl Buck, a woman who took the initiative to file for divorce from her husband, an agricultural economist, and who later became a female activist, should have mixed feelings about the description of women in the old Chinese society. Alan is wrapped in multiple identities: 1) The epitome of women in feudal society, the family status is low, she herself was sold as a domestic slave by her parents during the famine in exchange for money since she was a child. Hardworking and obedient, even if her husband wants to take a concubine, she can only agree, no other words, even if she has to give up her most reluctant pearl earrings; 2) Alan is a great mother, she gave birth to four children for the Wang family ;Although her daughter was born deaf, dumb and mentally retarded, even in the most difficult period, she did not want her daughter to have the same fate as herself, nor did she sell her daughter for money to buy food; when the relationship between the husband and son deteriorated due to an actor, the son When she ran away from home with anger, she understood both her son's state of mind and her husband's anger. She only asked her son to say goodbye to the father, the head of the family, before leaving; 3) Alan's most outstanding character was a tough, courageous, and wise man. female. In the most famine years, she killed the newborn baby herself. When the family could only eat mud for a living, she knew that it would be better to die if she had more mouth to eat; When plowing cattle, she boldly picked up a sharp knife; when her husband wanted to sell the land for grain, she strongly discouraged her, she said, "No matter how difficult it is, I will not sell the land"; when the revolution changed the dynasty, the people rushed forward, Alan, a woman who smashed and smashed the landlords, also bravely greeted them and went out. Although she almost lost her life, she was lucky to pick up a bag of gems, and from then on she rewrote the fate of the Wang family and became a wealthy family.

Alan, never took the initiative to ask for anything, and submissiveness was the label given to women at that time, but in the face of fate, she never bowed her head, whether it was drought, famine, turmoil or later family changes. Her perseverance has helped the Wang family overcome one difficulty after another. The Wang family is like the peach tree planted by Alan, from the initial pip to the later flowering and fruiting. Therefore, when Alan passed away, Wang Long would rely on the sturdy peach tree, and lamented that Alan was the one who made this family.

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Extended Reading

The Good Earth quotes

  • Wang Lung: Where are all these soldiers going ?

    Unidentified laborer: They say there's a revolution coming.

    Wang Lung: Revolution ? What is revolution ?

    Unidentified laborer: I don't know but it has something to do with food.

  • [first lines]

    Wang Lung: This is the day.