Man and woman of the Earth

This Week’s Winner

Jennifer L. Chan, 22, is “into the whole Tudor-Boleyn-era novels and Pride and Prejudice spinoffs. It took me two years of studying Hotel and Restaurant Management before I realized that I should be taking up another degree. A few years later and here I am, a graduate of Journalism. I blog a lot and enjoy reading other blogs, particularly wedding, interior design and food blogs.”

MANILA, Philippines – Earth is where we all come from and to earth we shall all return. No one makes this more evident than Wang Lung, a simple farmer who was able to make more of himself from the land he tilled and harvested. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck is not something I’d buy for myself. In fact, it was only by chance that I stumbled upon it at home, and because of boredom that I flipped through it pages.

The story begins on Wang Lung’s wedding day. It is by no means a lavish affair as his occupation does not allow anything more than a simple meal and a few guests. Still, he rejoices, for on this day he no longer has to wake up early each morning to bring his old father hot water. It will now be the duty of his wife to serve the men of the house. His bride-to-be is a mere slave in the Great House of Hwang. Although circumstances prevented him from choosing a wife from a better family, Wang Lung is nevertheless content that O-Lan is neither pock-faced nor split-lipped.

From the onset, it is hard to miss the overwhelming patriarchy in China’s pre-revolutionary times. Buck’s storytelling is accurate for women were definitely treated like commodities then. They were judged harshly by the way they looked and the way they paraded themselves.

Wang Lung, at first, does not mind his wife’s dull face and they live in relative peace, if not happiness. She has borne him sons and that is enough. O-Lan herself is satisfied to have done her duty and to have married a good man. She accepts her fate meekly and settles for what is there.

To have lived during those times means to live with both feet bound — literally and figuratively. As a woman, you had to be subservient to all men. Daughters were usually the first ones to be sold during times of crisis. Wives were easily replaced with perfume-spoiled concubines.

I cannot imagine living in such a strict world. Unfortunately, that is how society regarded women then. Women had no rights and couldn’t complain without it being seen as insolence or ingratitude. Back then, women were taken advantage of just because they were women. To this day, women are still battling for equality. Whether it happens in the workplace, in a relationship or in the family, such stereotypes still exist.

However, men are not without their own burdens.

The mistake of the family is the mistake of the father. Men cannot even show a hint of weakness, for society thinks it a sign that they are incapable. For all his faults, Wang Lung manages to build a better life for his family. He is able to procure more land and send his sons to school. He is able to move his home to the Great House of Hwang. Wang Lung has done his best to live up to his duty as a father and what he thinks is best for his family.

Above all, I see The Good Earth as a story of endurance, of getting past trial after trial. It is a story of hard work and perseverance and of the dangers and temptations lurking around every corner. Ill fortune chooses no gender. It strikes whomever it strikes and that is that. It is up to the person how he or she will be able to carry out his or her role with dignity.

In times of despair, one is faced with two harsh choices. Does one forsake values for survival? Or does one remain steadfast to the core and pray that another solution comes along? For most, the answer does not require a lot of thinking. There is no need for honor when you cannot eat it. There is no need for honesty when you cannot sell it. What choice do you have? But for others, there is always a choice and sometimes, the right one is the hardest to make.

Having just graduated from college, I see before myself acres and acres of land waiting to be explored. I haven’t been tested as harshly as Wang Lung or O-Lan and I cannot always say that I will make all the right decisions. Still, I look forward to marching on and bouncing back should I fail the first time. What others think of you does not matter as much as what you think of yourself.

Earth is where we all come from and to earth we shall all return. Perhaps the only thing that makes a difference is how we spend our time on it.