The Good Earth Composition on Chapter 1

In the novel, "The Good Earth", Wang Lung is an ordinary farmer who lives in China and goes through hard times and always seems to be calm and cheerful. Since Wang Lung is almost always happy that is a symbol of comedy. "Now it was as if Heaven had chosen this day to wish him well. Earth would bear fruit." This quote significantly shows that since Wang Lung is joyful all the time that it will lead him to a better future. The story line of the novel is a comedy because of the symbolism in the novel too. Spring and kitchen are two major symbols.

In the novel so far, everything has taken place in the kitchen. His grouchy father seems to take over Wang Lung because in China the elderlys are treated like royalty and the youth have to honor that. Here in America, elderlys are treated poorly and unsignficant. When Wang Lung had to go and purchase a slave at the House of Hwang. His father refused to have a beautiful women or she would be lazy and not do any of the chores that Wang Lung's father gives to her. In the House of Hwang, the women are treated like animals, so Wang Lung brought her home and beofre you know he was married. The marriage that Wang Lung gave was very weird compared to what I am used to. I think Wang Lung is giving O'lan a lot more freedom at Wang Lung's house than at the House of Hwang.

Wang Lung's life is really different from my life. My life has all this technology, stores, and jobs so it is easier to live. Wang Lung's life is basically poverty and his family is runned like a buisness. If I was in Wang Lung's life, I wouldn't survive becuase it would be very hard to stay joyful all the time.

Mrs. Foster's Cannary

In the short story, "A Jury of her Peers", Mrs. Foster had a cannary that meant the world to her. When her husband killed the cannary Mrs. Foster was really angry. To her it was like taking the sun out of the sky. Back in the 1800's, in mines, cannaries were used to detect deadly gases. If the cannary was still alive in the cage, it meant the mine was safe from the deadly gas. If the cannary died, that was a signal to everybody to get out of the mine because it was not safe. When Mr. Foster killed the cannary, it was a sign that she was not safe to live there and it took away her precious freedom. For her to receive her freedom again she felt like she needed to kill her husband.