Irony in the Good Earth

Irony plays a major part in the novel, The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. Authors often use irony in their writings to show contrast between what is said or what is meant, and what really happens. There are many different examples of irony throughout the book. The displayed irony includes: Wang Lung, money, and sons. These three topics are perfect examples of the use of irony in this novel. When the main character, Wang Lung, first started out in the novel he was a poor farmer awakening to his wedding day. At this point, Wang Lung was very sensible about money and lived in an earthen house on his land. Wang Lung married O-Lan, a slave that lived in the Great House of Hwang. He was treated poorly and unequally by the Great family and he never would have thought he would later come to live in the Great House. Sure enough, his fortune changed and Wang became a rich man and his family became much like the Great family. Wang Lung became slightly careless with his money, but with the persuasion of his sons, he purchased the Great House later on in the novel. “I could sit on that seat where the old one sat and from whence she bade me stand like a serf, and now I could sit there and so call another into my presence” (Buck 288). Truly this is a great rags-to-riches story and this is ironic because once he was a poor farmer looking up at the Great house, and later he owned it. “Now Wang Lung, as this hour drew near stayed more and more in the house in the town and he walked about the courts and he could never have done with musing on what had happened, and he could never have his fill of wonder this, that in these courts where the Great family of Hwang, had once lived with his wife and sons…” (Buck 298). This quote seals Wang Lung’s feelings towards living in the same house as the Great ones. He feels that he himself is the new Lord of the house. At the beginning of the novel, Wang Lung was a very poor man capable of handling money. He was forced south because of the famine and he had no money in which to buy food. His family was forced to beg and that is what they did for a while. “You must have begged of a foreigner this day” (Buck 111). Wang Lung’s fortune changed again and he became a rich man. While this was going on, the Hwang family living in their Great House ran into some trouble. The family was spending money at will and the house turned into one of an evil destiny. The Hwang family eventually fell when they decided to waste money and sell the land. The Hwang family had great greed indeed. After the fall of the Great family, Wang Lung purchased the house and soon after, his eldest son started to spend all of the money. Money caused tension in the house, and the family became corrupted much like the Hwang family. In the village, Wang Lung became talked about as “Wang the rich man” instead of “Wang the farmer” which was eerily similar to what the people thought of the Old one and the Hwang family. “Here we may stop, my comrades, for this is a rich man and a relative” (Buck 321). Therefore, Wang Lung turned into a local story in their village and became the rich man everyone looked up to. Throughout Wang Lung’s life, he and his wife O-Lan had many children; the majority being sons. Wang Lung was proud of his family and his sons. However, some of his sons had a bad trait just like the sons who lived in the House of Hwang before them. Wang Lung’s sons were greedy and spent money at will, thus corrupting Wang’s family. The son’s were always bickering and had constant problems, giving Wang Lung no peace inside his household. Just before the Great Hwang family diminished, a very poor decision was made. The family sold all of their land thus sealing their fate and doom. Now, just like the Hwang family, Wang Lung’s own sons plotted and discussed selling the land. “This field we will sell and this one...” (Buck 356). His sons, out of evilness, tell their father that they will not sell the land. “But over the old man’s head they looked at each other and smiled” (Buck 357). Ironically, just like the Hwang family the Wang family will diminish also. “Now, evil, idle sons-sell the land” (Buck 357). This quote reveals what the former occupant of the Great House did that led to the fall of the Hwangs. In conclusion, there are many different examples of Irony in this novel. The transformation of Wang Lung’s family into that of the Hwang family is the biggest Irony in the novel by far. There are multiple examples in the book with crisp details that validate this statement. “If you sell the land, it is the end” (Buck 357).