Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth

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The novel The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck was published in 2005 by Simon and Schuster Inc. The story follows Wang Lung through his development from penniless to prosperous within his lifetime. It explores the alluring call of money and status that eventually changes the very morals that Wang Lung has clung onto so desperately for the first several years of his life. Wang Lung begins to shift into an undesirable persona due to the temptation that wealth holds; this process begins with his first expedition to the wealthy tea shop. At the beginning of the story, Wang Lung ventures into an unkempt tea shop where he demands two bowls of noodles. The shop is musty and filled with greasy waiting boys with rude comments that crack like whips at the customers.…show more content…
This creates an altogether grimy and filthy atmosphere. As time moves on, Wang Lung becomes wealthy, and the wealth he gains empowers him like adrenaline coursing through his veins. Instead of going to the tea shop he first visits, he begins to think he has far too much status that would now bar him from entering the run down establishment. The opulent tea shop is much more prestigious, with glistening oil lamps from foreign lands hanging in every open spot on the exterior. Men with fine silk robes sit outside drinking tea; they have no responsibilities to worry about. Wang Lung feels as if his heart may beat out of his chest and anticipation curls in his stomach. He remembers that not long ago, he was a poor farmer, and he does not know that he belongs in such an illustrious place. When he finally relaxes into a seat, he looks at his surrounding with unsubdued wonder. The tea house is an enormous anteroom with grandiose decor fit for only the richest of men. Wang Lung notices that painted

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