Study Questions &
Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. Why is it ironic
that Wang Lung is disappointed that
O-lan's feet are not bound?
2. Why does O-lan
smother the second infant daughter born to her and Wang Lung? To
what extent does O-lan's cultural and economic context lessen what
might otherwise appear to be a horrible and unforgivable crime?
3. Why does Wang
Lung endure his uncle's demands?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. How does Buck satirize Western
Christian missionaries in the novel?
2. What does Wang Lung's family's
gradual disconnection from the land say about their moral position
and their hopes for future success? Explain what you think happens
to Wang Lung's family after the close of the novel.
3. How are Wang Lung and his
oldest son alike? Given the similarities in their characters, why
do they come into conflict?
4. Why does Wang Lung decide
to move into the Hwang family's house in town? What does such a
move signify for him?
