O Lan The Good Earth

When Wang Lung discovers the scattering of jewels that O-lan has stolen from the great house in the city, she asks to keep two pearls, and he lets her. Still, he later takes them from her and has them made into earrings for Lotus. Though O-lan has few aspirations to greatness, the fact that she treasures the pearls so much shows that she has enough of thoughts and feelings that Wang Lung doesn't perceive. He thinks of her as a very unproblematic, difficult-working woman, and he never considers that she might want a amend life than she has. Furthermore, her desire for the pearls shows that she appreciates beauty, even though Wang Lung thinks she'due south ugly and sometimes wishes she would try to make herself more cute. Later, the pearls human action as an amanuensis of Wang Lung's casual cruelty, as he takes this treasured possession from his wife and gives them to Lotus, who represents his desertion of his wife.

The Pearls Quotes in The Expert Earth

The The Adept World quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Pearls. For each quote, yous can too encounter the other characters and themes related to information technology (each theme is indicated by its ain dot and icon, like this one:

"If I could take two," she went on humbly, "but two modest ones—two small white pearls even..."

"Pearls!" he repeated, agape... And so Wang Lung... looked for an instant into the middle of this dull and faithful creature, who had labored all her life at some task at which she won no reward and who in the great house had seen others wearing jewels which she never even felt in her hand once.

Page Number and Commendation: 146

Explanation and Analysis:

The Pearls Symbol Timeline in The Good Earth

The timeline below shows where the symbol The Pearls appears in The Proficient Earth. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...notices that O-lan seems to desire something. She asks whether she might keep 2 white pearls, not to wear, only just to hold sometimes. He's astonished, and she doesn't seem to... (total context)

...and a girl. He's joyful and jokes that this was why she kept the ii pearls. (total context)

...pretty and would have kept them for herself. He wonders if she still has the pearls between her breasts, only he doesn't like to think of it, because her breasts are... (full context)

...Wang Lung finds O-lan washing his clothes and asks her what she's done with the pearls she kept. He'south ashamed of himself but won't admit information technology. She says she still has... (full context)

...to slaves. When he angers and shakes her, she accuses him of giving Lotus her pearls. This makes him ashamed, and he tells Cuckoo that he'll build another kitchen for her... (total context)

...deaths. After the burial, he walks home alone, wishing he had permit O-lan go on her pearls, and he decides never to allow Lotus to habiliment them once again. He feels that the... (full context)