Abstract:The Good Earth was published in 1931 and has been one of the most popular novels of the twentieth century, for which the author Pearl S. Buck was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1932 and the Nobel Prize in 1938. It has been translated into more than thirty languages and made into a motion picture. Wang Lung, the leading role of The Good Earth, was a typical peasant’s image in old China who is confined to the earth all his life. His life, thinking, actions were connected with the earth tightly. Here, this thesis analyze the land complex of the Chinese peasant in three aspects，which are respectively nature, economy and ideology. By the analysis of these three points, we can not only perceive the deep relationship between peasants and land, but also realize their ardent emotion of the land. The land complex was formed by various factors, so we should treat it rationally.

Key words: land complex; peasants; Wang Lung; Pearl S. Buck

Table of Contents

Abstract

摘要

1.Introduction-1

1.1. Brief Introduction of The Good Earth-1

1.2 Brief Introduction of Pearl S. Buck-1

2.Literature Review-2

2.1 The Definition of Land-2

2.2 The Definition of Complex-2

2.3 Research in China-2

3.The Unchanged Land Complex of Wang Lung-4

3.1 Before Wang Lung Goes to the South-4

3.2 Wang Lung Makes a Living in the South-4

3.3 After Wang Lung Comes Back from the South-5

4.The Importance of Land Seen from Different Backgrounds-6

4.1 The Importance of Land Seen from Confucianism-6

4.1.1 Brief Introduction of Confucianism-6

4.1.2 Man’s Integration with Heaven-6

4.1.3 People First, Monarchs Last and Least-6

4.2 The Importance of Land Seen from Western Culture-7

5.Analyzing the Reasons for Chinese Peasants’ Land Complex-8

5.1 Natural Reason-8

5.1.1 Land Resource-8

5.12 Climate Resource-8

5.13 Water Resource-8

5.2 Economical Reason-9

5.2.1 Public Land Ownership in Primitive Communes-9

5.2.2 State-owned Land in the Xia, Zhou and Shang Dynasties-10

5.23 Private Land Ownership in the Warring States Period-10

5.3 Ideological Reason-11

5.3.1 The God of Land-11

5.3.2 Nuwa Niangniang-11

6.Conclusion-13

References-14

Acknowledgements-14