The Good Earth ~ch 22

Pg 194 "Silver, then! Silver and gold! anything to the very price of my land!"

Wang Leng is crazy. All the way up until the 21st chapter (out of 34), Wang Leng's life revolves around "The Good Earth." He is a devoted farmer who is passionate about his work in the fields. Like all people, Wang Leng doesn't understand what it means to be a wealthy man until he becomes one. He does not understand

their foolish and lazy ways until he finds himself acting exactly the same way. The very land that motivated Wang Leng to live through the difficult times when his family members were beggars and was more precious and priceless to him than anything else in the whole world suddenly becomes worthless in this sentence. Wang Leng's eyes are suddenly opened to his wife O Lan's big feet, ugly, calloused hands, and unattractive features. The stack of silver and gold coins in the walls of his house lead him to wanting even more, making him become a greedy man. When Wang Leng did not own much and did not have much money, he was a very hard working, humble farmer. However, as his wealth increased and the land became flooded, Wang Leng became idle, not doing anything but wandering around the house and about the city, looking for ways to become like the wealthy men, and not a farmer. He goes into a tea shop that is only for rich men and is captivated by a painting of a woman with tiny feet, long, fragile hands carrying a lotus flower, and a small, pretty face. His family, especially his naive wife is very aware of his change in attitude and in actions (for he has become very harsh toward his wife, father, and even his children), but has no idea what has caused this change, or what Wang Leng has become.

However Wang Leng is still a farmer at heart. Even though he says these things and acts these ways, it is not the lifestyle he is accustomed to, and he knows that his life's purpose is in the land. He must at some point, realize that the calloused hands of his loyal wife O Lan are much more beautiful than the tainted ones of the Lotus. For every time O Lan confronts him, he breaks out in an outrage, but feels nothing but shame and is abashed by his actions.