The Dynamic Character Of O-Lan In The Good Earth

Words: 1472
Pages: 6
Open Document
O-Lan from The Good Earth can be observed as interesting, even though it is evident that she is a static character. While O-Lan remains unchanging throughout the novel, she symbolizes “The Good Earth”, in which the earth is a reliable source that reflects the personality of this character. The character of O-Lan is the protagonist of the book and remains static as she endures countless trials, which supports the comparison of this character to a woman in the book of Proverbs from the Bible. O-Lan’s character can be identified as quiet, obedient, yet strong to allow the character to be symbolized as “The good earth.” O-Lan is the protagonist of the book by the example of her symbolism of the earth, which is a reliable source and represents …show more content…
For example, in the beginning of the book, O-Lan delivers her first son and insists on dressing the child in respectable clothing and presenting him to the house in which she was a slave. This allows the reader to comprehend O-Lan’s desires for respect from the people of the house that she was enslaved. Also, O-Lan is able to discover a variety of jewels, in which she keeps hidden until Wang Lung finds them. O-Lan begs Wang Lung to only keep a few jewels for multiple reasons, such as security of money in case of a crisis, as well as her desire to own anything of such worth. Towards the end of the book, when she is on the verge of death, she insists that she meet her son and his wife on their wedding day to ensure that she was responsible for a prosperous family. Another example that supports O-Lan’s desire for respect is when she says,” My mother did not bind them, since I was so young. But the girl’s feet, I will bind the younger girls’ feet.” This confirms a desire to reflect the beauty and richness of her daughter to show the improvement in O-Lan’s value. While O-Lan desires self-worth, her character is also contradicted by her consistent insecurities. For instance, O-Lan only begs for the jewels that are worth …show more content…
The first comparison between the women is the loyalty to their husbands. For instance, in Proverbs, it states, “The heart of her husband doth safely trusts in her,” which is similar to O-Lan because at the end of the book, Wang Lung admits that she is “the good earth”, which is also symbolized as reliable and good. The next comparison is that both women are hardworking, as well as a provider to their families. For example, in verse 13 of Proverbs, it states the woman, “worketh willingly with her hands,” which reflects O-Lan’s character as she tends the house, the father of Wang Lung, children, and most importantly, the land. Another comparison of the women is that they are products of sexism yet both resist it in some form. An example of this is in both Proverbs and The Good Earth, the women work in the field, regardless to society’s standards of women in that period of time, which would be a common house-wife. Also, O-Lan’s feet were not bound and in result, her beauty did not meet the standards of women at that time. The women also compare and contrast due to the contrast of physical and mental power. For instance, in verse 19 of Proverbs, it explains the physical strength of the woman, such as the strength in her arms, but O-Lan’s strength is demonstrated mentally through her trials as a slave and an obedient wife. The next comparison is
Show More

Related Documents: The Dynamic Character Of O-Lan In The Good Earth

Managing Information Technology (7th Edition) Essay

CONTENTS: CASE STUDIES CASE STUDY 1 Midsouth Chamber of Commerce (A): The Role of the Operating Manager in Information Systems CASE STUDY I-1 IMT Custom Machine Company, Inc.: Selection of an Information Technology Platform CASE STUDY I-2 VoIP2.biz, Inc.: Deciding on the Next Steps for a VoIP Supplier CASE STUDY I-3 The VoIP Adoption at Butler University CASE STUDY I-4 Supporting Mobile Health Clinics: The Children’s Health Fund of New York City CASE STUDY I-5…

Words 239873 - Pages 960

Essay about A Descriptive Study of the Practice of Music Therapy in Hong Kong

HONG KONG BAPTIST UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF THE PRACTICE OF MUSIC THERAPY IN HONG KONG By LAM HOI YAN April, 2007 04002865 ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to examine the development of music therapy in Hong Kong. Specifically, a number of related issues were studied including definition of music therapy, the origin of music therapy, the recent developments in music therapy in China, establishment of a music therapy session, and the setting of…

Words 17366 - Pages 70