An essay response to the novel, The Power and the Glory.
Throughout the novel, The Power and the Glory, the purpose of life is frequently questioned. Why are we here? What should we do? What is the point? All of these questions deal with one theme that will lead you to a better life: conviction. Convictions give us a feeling a feeling of accomplishment, a feeling that we have left an imprint on the world; if we did not have these feelings, what would we do with our lives? Without a strong belief in a cause that has a home in the heart, people will look back on their lives with remorse, feeling they have achieved nothing.
There are several characters in this novel that represent people who follow their beliefs with a passion, but also some who struggle to dedicate themselves entirely to a cause. "Mr. Tench stood in the shade of the customs house and thought: what am I here for?" (8) Going listlessly through the motions of life, Mr. Tench represents the people who have not found a cause to devote their entire life to; in result of this, he finds himself questioning the decisions and actions of his life. For a few short moments, after meeting the priest, his mind is cleared and he is able to comprehend what exactly had been going wrong -- his ether, his job, his family -- but a lifetime of bad choices soon brought the rains back and turned his mind back to the foggy mess it was before.
Mr. Tench may represent the people who haven't yet found the cause to which they dedicate their life, but the lieutenant represents the people who have convictions for the wrong things. Feeling that religion gives people false hope, the lieutenant wants to rid the world of these faiths and give the children the childhood he never had. "He would eliminate from their childhood everything which had made him miserable, all that was poor, superstitious, and corrupt. They deserved nothing less than the truth -- a vacant universe and a cooling world, the right to be happy in any way they chose." (58) Although his beliefs would bring despair to the people, at least he had a conviction to which he dedicated his whole life.
The lieutenant demonstrated strong convictions throughout the novel by sticking with his belief no matter how grueling the journey or how fanatic the predicament, yet when Padre Jose entered a tough situation, the first thing to be abandoned was his faith. When he became a priest, he made a commitment to follow the Lord and help others through life by helping them see God. With a dedication as serious as this, there was bound to be some hardships; the fact that he could not find his way through these problems measures just how shallow his convictions were. When he married and left the priest hood, Padre Jose backed out of his lifelong promise, leaving him feeling lonely and foolish; there was no longer any point to his life except to entertain the town children with his embarrassment.
The Lehrs -- not unlike Padre Jose --had troubles with their convictions, except their predicaments dealt with being to engrossed in the laws to have a true passion."Mr. Lehr and his sister had combined to drive out savagery by simply ignoring anything that conflicted with an ordinary German-American homestead." (163) When anything crossed the line of legalism, the Lehrs felt that it was absolutely wrong and corrupt; this meant that if any of their beliefs required them to do anything against the rule book, they would back away since it simply could not be done. Sometimes rules get in the way, keeping us from reaching success, yet if we truly believe in our cause, we would not hold back. If this is so, it is conspicuous that the Lehrs had their priorities in the wrong order and needed to take a step back in order to have seen what they should've been doing with their lives.
While the Lehrs felt they couldn't go against the law, Coral Fellows was completely the opposite -- she was ready to do anything to help the causes she believed in. "She was ready to accept any responsibility, even that of vengeance, without a second thought. It was her life." (42) Coral was ready to drop everything and help the priest if needed, worrying not a single bit about the outcome of her own life. She symbolizes the type of people who do not care what they look like to their coworkers or to their peers; not only do these people follow what they believe in without minding what other's thoughts are, but they are usually the most successful people in the world since they will not regret anything.
In our world there are a limited amount of people who are as strong as Coral, but there are many more who are like the priest. Whenever a tough situation arrived at the priest's doorstep, it seemed like all he did was make mistakes. In the end, however, he was always able to pull through and stick with his faith. "When he was gone it would be as if God in all this space between the sea and the mountains ceased to exist. Wasn't it his duty to stay, even if they despised him, even if they were murdered for his sake? even if they were corrupted by his example?" (65) For a while it seemed as if all he could do was wait to die and drink brandy, leaving many people feeling as if he was just as bad as Padre Jose, yet he eventually realized that his life's purpose was to teach others. Once he became aware of that, the priest chose a different route on the path of life, one that led him to do more with his life.
We may not always make the best decisions, but in the end, sticking with your convictions is what counts. "One of the oddest things about the world these days was that there were no clocks -- you could go a year without hearing one strike." (100) Sometimes, it will be hard to tell whether or not we are really here, doing what we are supposed to do. The only way to truly know that the clocks are ticking, that time is moving, that we are doing something is to live life with no doubts of your beliefs. If you give your whole life to the cause of your choice, bad decisions will not be evident and prevailing through life will be no problem.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Opening Minds, Hearts and Souls
This is a response to the novel, Life of Pi, by Yann Martel.
From the time an infant is born, conventions are already starting to make an influence and shape their life; parents, teachers and relatives each have their own footprint on the habits of this new miracle. Throughout the years, everyone will meet new people, go new places, and see new things -- different experiences shape different people. Entering each situation and predicament with an open mind helps people to learn about new conventions -- those who don't will never learn the true lessons of life.
Pi Patel was a Hindu -- a very important attribute about him -- and had inherited the ways of life of a Hindu. At first, he became so engrossed with the Hindu customs that he began to miss out on the experiences of life; he felt that his ways and only his ways were the right way to live. When Pi's family took a vacation to Munnar and went into a Church, he began his lifelong journey of getting to know God -- he just didn't know it yet. "First wonder goes deepest; wonder after that fits in the impression of the first." (50) Although it was a struggle to believe in the Christian faith, Pi needed that struggle in order to lead him to a better life, one in which believing in different conventions is not a problem. He had been a Hindu all his life and entering into the church was the equivalent of him entering into new territory -- one that was completely strange and unknown to him.
There are many different people in the world -- not one the same -- and all have one decision to make about conventions: whether or not to welcome others and their ways of life with open arms. Pi may be an example of the ones who are willing to accept ideas of others and ponder them with no remorse, but his parents are quite the opposite. After receiving the startling news about their son's acceptance of new religions, Mr. and Mrs. Patel aren't very welcoming of the new idea. "To me, religion is about our dignity, not our depravity." (71) Although their son had enough faith and strength within him to rise above the criticism of others, these two parents could not bring themselves to perceive their son's motives. Appreciate the effort and faith of Pi they did not, rather they were full of dismay and missed out on the most important events of his life; what could've been the most fulfilling experience of their lifetime was taken as an embarrassing incident and ignored, the worst mistake a parent can make in his or her lifetime.
Not unlike his parents, Pi could be very judgmental; to him an animal's way of life was despicable -- they ate like savages and had no feelings for one another. With every grueling second, minute, hour and day, he began to realize why exactly the Hindu religion made every piece of life sacred: animals aren't much different than humans. Each and every one of us has our own conventions, our own way of life, and it is the exact same for all animals. They, too, have been put on this world by the same God as us; they, too, have a mission in life, like us; they, too, have the freedom to chose whichever conventions make them comfortable, no different from us. If humans and animals have so many things in common, shouldn't each treat the other's conventions the same as their own: with an understanding and forgiving heart? As soon as Pi realized this, he opened his heart to these strange and unknown ways to him and took a leap of faith.
Many people are too caught up in their own worlds to even consider taking a leap of faith; for them, life consists of only one right way: their own. We all wish that we aren't these people and that they don't even exist, but there are so many that act like the Japanese businessmen who could not and would not believe Pi's story -- to them, if it didn't fit into their rules, it wasn't true. Traditions and customs vary from culture to culture, yet the most faithful ones are able to look past the differences of others and take them in; the Japanese business men were not these ones. "If you stumble at mere believability, what are you living for? Isn't love hard to believe?" (297) If those men were so low that they could not believe Pi's story, they obviously were not living a healthy life; it takes more than just conventions to believe in something, it takes inner strength, something those men seemed to lack. Without this attribute, a person cannot triumph and attain great things.
Since there are many Japanese businessmen out in the world, one must be sure to refrain from becoming one of them; this requires much strength from within and acceptance of others. Many will be challenged in school, the workplace, even home. Everyone, from the top of the business ladder to the bottom, will encounter a coworker some time in their life that does not have the same work ethic or routine as themselves, but they have to find a way to overcome that difference and bond together.
No matter where you go, what you do or who you meet, there will always be obstinate people unwilling to accept the ways of others. Pi had to face these struggles in his own life, each and every one made him a stronger person. In order to learn from each person and experience encountered in life, one must find an equal balance between their own conventions and others; never losing sight of their own, yet opening their minds and hearts to others.
From the time an infant is born, conventions are already starting to make an influence and shape their life; parents, teachers and relatives each have their own footprint on the habits of this new miracle. Throughout the years, everyone will meet new people, go new places, and see new things -- different experiences shape different people. Entering each situation and predicament with an open mind helps people to learn about new conventions -- those who don't will never learn the true lessons of life.
Pi Patel was a Hindu -- a very important attribute about him -- and had inherited the ways of life of a Hindu. At first, he became so engrossed with the Hindu customs that he began to miss out on the experiences of life; he felt that his ways and only his ways were the right way to live. When Pi's family took a vacation to Munnar and went into a Church, he began his lifelong journey of getting to know God -- he just didn't know it yet. "First wonder goes deepest; wonder after that fits in the impression of the first." (50) Although it was a struggle to believe in the Christian faith, Pi needed that struggle in order to lead him to a better life, one in which believing in different conventions is not a problem. He had been a Hindu all his life and entering into the church was the equivalent of him entering into new territory -- one that was completely strange and unknown to him.
There are many different people in the world -- not one the same -- and all have one decision to make about conventions: whether or not to welcome others and their ways of life with open arms. Pi may be an example of the ones who are willing to accept ideas of others and ponder them with no remorse, but his parents are quite the opposite. After receiving the startling news about their son's acceptance of new religions, Mr. and Mrs. Patel aren't very welcoming of the new idea. "To me, religion is about our dignity, not our depravity." (71) Although their son had enough faith and strength within him to rise above the criticism of others, these two parents could not bring themselves to perceive their son's motives. Appreciate the effort and faith of Pi they did not, rather they were full of dismay and missed out on the most important events of his life; what could've been the most fulfilling experience of their lifetime was taken as an embarrassing incident and ignored, the worst mistake a parent can make in his or her lifetime.
Not unlike his parents, Pi could be very judgmental; to him an animal's way of life was despicable -- they ate like savages and had no feelings for one another. With every grueling second, minute, hour and day, he began to realize why exactly the Hindu religion made every piece of life sacred: animals aren't much different than humans. Each and every one of us has our own conventions, our own way of life, and it is the exact same for all animals. They, too, have been put on this world by the same God as us; they, too, have a mission in life, like us; they, too, have the freedom to chose whichever conventions make them comfortable, no different from us. If humans and animals have so many things in common, shouldn't each treat the other's conventions the same as their own: with an understanding and forgiving heart? As soon as Pi realized this, he opened his heart to these strange and unknown ways to him and took a leap of faith.
Many people are too caught up in their own worlds to even consider taking a leap of faith; for them, life consists of only one right way: their own. We all wish that we aren't these people and that they don't even exist, but there are so many that act like the Japanese businessmen who could not and would not believe Pi's story -- to them, if it didn't fit into their rules, it wasn't true. Traditions and customs vary from culture to culture, yet the most faithful ones are able to look past the differences of others and take them in; the Japanese business men were not these ones. "If you stumble at mere believability, what are you living for? Isn't love hard to believe?" (297) If those men were so low that they could not believe Pi's story, they obviously were not living a healthy life; it takes more than just conventions to believe in something, it takes inner strength, something those men seemed to lack. Without this attribute, a person cannot triumph and attain great things.
Since there are many Japanese businessmen out in the world, one must be sure to refrain from becoming one of them; this requires much strength from within and acceptance of others. Many will be challenged in school, the workplace, even home. Everyone, from the top of the business ladder to the bottom, will encounter a coworker some time in their life that does not have the same work ethic or routine as themselves, but they have to find a way to overcome that difference and bond together.
No matter where you go, what you do or who you meet, there will always be obstinate people unwilling to accept the ways of others. Pi had to face these struggles in his own life, each and every one made him a stronger person. In order to learn from each person and experience encountered in life, one must find an equal balance between their own conventions and others; never losing sight of their own, yet opening their minds and hearts to others.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
War and Its Fatal Side Effects
Scenario: Russia wants to overtake the country of Georgia, because they feel that they are still in charge of them. They feel the need to blow up the whole country, tearing apart all things – buildings, homes, families. The Pope — knowing that without some outside help the country will lose everything — writes a letter to the president of Russia, explaining how war will tear everything apart, including his own country. Through the discussion of families, government and peace, he gives many different options that avoid violence of any type.
January 21, 2010
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev
President of Russia
Gesundheit Road
Russia
Dear President Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev:
For these past seven days, I have been praying to the Lord about your recent announcement to invade the country of Georgia; I hope you have done the same. Talking with him has helped me to realize what effects of the war will have on the citizens and how much not only their faith, but also yours, will be challenged along the way. “Be content with what you have, for God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.’” (Hebrews 13:5,6) If you have faith in the Lord, your God, you will never need to fear the future. However, if you don’t heed his warnings, bad things will come upon you.
With this disastrous future ahead, I would like to remind you of eight of the most important statements in the Christian religion: the Beatitudes. By taking over their country, the people of Georgia will be torn apart from their families, confusing them and resulting in a lack of courage and hope. You will be the cause of this perplexity, but will show no mercy to these weak and helpless people – all you will be concerned about is yourself and your own gains and losses. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:5) In order to receive help and love from God, you must do your part and help out those in need. Invading these citizens and tearing families apart is not the part you are supposed to do, rather you should show these people your mercy and act with them in a peaceful way.
If you do not have enough faith in God to believe my words of wisdom, look at the country of Iraq as an example. This poor, feeble country has been invaded countless times, more and more often with every coming day. Looking at the civilians of this community, you will not see strong and heroic people, rather you will look upon a forlorn society, full of miserable a populace who have lost all hope. I, realizing that you want your citizens to be proud and happy followers of God, understand that you would not approve if the country of Georgia acted like Iraq once under your power.
With all these confusing and problematic situations, it will be almost impossible not to be destructive and sinful; this will result in you forgetting that these are sons and daughters of God, your own brothers and sisters. “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.” (I Corinthians 14:33) With power comes great responsibility, and you must be ready to face up to that. You are the president, and you have much of this power; at the moment you’re not responsible to overtake others, you are responsible to help the country you reign over. As you start to ponder over my advice, remember, you are a son of God, and in order to follow in his footsteps, you must write a book of peace, not the irony of confusion.
Sincerely,
Benedict Arnold XVI
Pope of the Catholic Church
Enclosure
Copyright © 1998 by Ann Poe
Relation to Farenheit 451: In the novel, Farenheit 451, there was a massive war going on; one so massive and scary that many people didn't feel the need to be updated about it every minute. In order to avoid this, they started disconnecting themselves from the world -- not unlike the way the people of Georgia did in my letter -- in order to avoid talking, listening or seeing anything that had to due with the destruction. To do this, they had many different options: putting their earphones in the ears, watching their T.V. in the parlor, not making contact with their families. All of these choices gave the people in Farenheit 451 a tragic ending since none of them knew what was coming. To the governments of enemy cities, this is amusing; to the citizens, humerous it is not, rather it's a hard and stressful time, one in which many of them would rather leave their families than go through it.
January 21, 2010
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev
President of Russia
Gesundheit Road
Russia
Dear President Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev:
For these past seven days, I have been praying to the Lord about your recent announcement to invade the country of Georgia; I hope you have done the same. Talking with him has helped me to realize what effects of the war will have on the citizens and how much not only their faith, but also yours, will be challenged along the way. “Be content with what you have, for God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.’” (Hebrews 13:5,6) If you have faith in the Lord, your God, you will never need to fear the future. However, if you don’t heed his warnings, bad things will come upon you.
With this disastrous future ahead, I would like to remind you of eight of the most important statements in the Christian religion: the Beatitudes. By taking over their country, the people of Georgia will be torn apart from their families, confusing them and resulting in a lack of courage and hope. You will be the cause of this perplexity, but will show no mercy to these weak and helpless people – all you will be concerned about is yourself and your own gains and losses. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:5) In order to receive help and love from God, you must do your part and help out those in need. Invading these citizens and tearing families apart is not the part you are supposed to do, rather you should show these people your mercy and act with them in a peaceful way.
If you do not have enough faith in God to believe my words of wisdom, look at the country of Iraq as an example. This poor, feeble country has been invaded countless times, more and more often with every coming day. Looking at the civilians of this community, you will not see strong and heroic people, rather you will look upon a forlorn society, full of miserable a populace who have lost all hope. I, realizing that you want your citizens to be proud and happy followers of God, understand that you would not approve if the country of Georgia acted like Iraq once under your power.
With all these confusing and problematic situations, it will be almost impossible not to be destructive and sinful; this will result in you forgetting that these are sons and daughters of God, your own brothers and sisters. “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.” (I Corinthians 14:33) With power comes great responsibility, and you must be ready to face up to that. You are the president, and you have much of this power; at the moment you’re not responsible to overtake others, you are responsible to help the country you reign over. As you start to ponder over my advice, remember, you are a son of God, and in order to follow in his footsteps, you must write a book of peace, not the irony of confusion.
Sincerely,
Benedict Arnold XVI
Pope of the Catholic Church
Enclosure
Copyright © 1998 by Ann Poe
Relation to Farenheit 451: In the novel, Farenheit 451, there was a massive war going on; one so massive and scary that many people didn't feel the need to be updated about it every minute. In order to avoid this, they started disconnecting themselves from the world -- not unlike the way the people of Georgia did in my letter -- in order to avoid talking, listening or seeing anything that had to due with the destruction. To do this, they had many different options: putting their earphones in the ears, watching their T.V. in the parlor, not making contact with their families. All of these choices gave the people in Farenheit 451 a tragic ending since none of them knew what was coming. To the governments of enemy cities, this is amusing; to the citizens, humerous it is not, rather it's a hard and stressful time, one in which many of them would rather leave their families than go through it.
Monday, December 21, 2009
The Relationship Between Love and Forgiveness
Love and forgiveness are intertwined throughout the novel, Great Expectations , by Charles Dickens; those who can’t forgive are unable to love, while those who do forgive go on to lead the happiest lives. This is displayed by two of the most vital characters in the novel, Joe and Miss Havisham; together they show the opposite sides of this tremendous factor in life. Forgiveness plays a big part in our lives; one must learn to forgive those who have brought the bad into their life and to love those who have brought the good.
Without forgiveness, love cannot take place; without love, life will tumble downward until it hits the lowest point: death. Miss Havisham displays this minute part of the theme by showing the downfall of life formed by the unwillingness in her to forgive. “ ‘I’ll tell you,’ said she, in the same hurried passionate whisper, ‘what real love is. It is blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving up your whole heart and soul to the smitter – as I did!’ ”(pg. 240) She felt as if forgiveness is a sign of weakness; this ended up leaving her to a restless life, one that included the loss of happiness, friends and family – a classic part of a tragic novel.
There may be many people in the world who take the place of Ms. Havisham – those who just bring your hopes down when you talk to them – but there will always be that one little nightlight that outshines all the darkness, a humble person with passel fidelity, like Joe. Always working, taking pride in what he did, Joe seemed to be cheerful no matter what problem that life threw him. Even when his very best friend, Pip, left him, he still found a part of his heart to forgive him. “Exactly what he had been in my eyes then, he was in my eyes still; just as simply faithful, just as simply right.”(pg. 472) No matter what Pip did, Joe was always there to reassure him, to forgive him and to love him.
No matter where you go in the world, there will always be people who forgive and those who don’t; one must always remember the greatest expectation of life, love, and that it cannot be accomplished without forgiveness. With this knowledge, people will be able to live their lives to the fullist -- something Miss Havisham never had the chance to experience. Those who do will be able to love under no circumstances, those who don’t will be unhappy with their choices for the rest of their lives.
Without forgiveness, love cannot take place; without love, life will tumble downward until it hits the lowest point: death. Miss Havisham displays this minute part of the theme by showing the downfall of life formed by the unwillingness in her to forgive. “ ‘I’ll tell you,’ said she, in the same hurried passionate whisper, ‘what real love is. It is blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving up your whole heart and soul to the smitter – as I did!’ ”(pg. 240) She felt as if forgiveness is a sign of weakness; this ended up leaving her to a restless life, one that included the loss of happiness, friends and family – a classic part of a tragic novel.
There may be many people in the world who take the place of Ms. Havisham – those who just bring your hopes down when you talk to them – but there will always be that one little nightlight that outshines all the darkness, a humble person with passel fidelity, like Joe. Always working, taking pride in what he did, Joe seemed to be cheerful no matter what problem that life threw him. Even when his very best friend, Pip, left him, he still found a part of his heart to forgive him. “Exactly what he had been in my eyes then, he was in my eyes still; just as simply faithful, just as simply right.”(pg. 472) No matter what Pip did, Joe was always there to reassure him, to forgive him and to love him.
No matter where you go in the world, there will always be people who forgive and those who don’t; one must always remember the greatest expectation of life, love, and that it cannot be accomplished without forgiveness. With this knowledge, people will be able to live their lives to the fullist -- something Miss Havisham never had the chance to experience. Those who do will be able to love under no circumstances, those who don’t will be unhappy with their choices for the rest of their lives.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Veterans of Foreign Wars Essay
Our military heroes sacrifice so much of their lives that we cannot even take into account how much love they have for this country and its people. For this reason, we, the people of the United States of America, have created many a holiday to honor them, their thoughts and their actions while they were serving this country. These heroes have given up months, years, even at times their lives to protect us; this cannot be repaid or thanked for in a few holidays. We must also honor them every day, inside our hearts.
For a long time we have known that honoring our veterans is something necessary for us to do. Originating on November 11, 1918, Armistice Day was created to honor veterans who gave up their lives for this free country. That day in November was known as the end of The War to End All Wars, so there was some rejoicing to be done, resulting in the making of a holiday. On June 1, 1954, it was changed to Veteran’s Day; with this revision, people were now able to honor all veterans of war. Making this important alteration was only a small piece of the puzzle to recognizing our veterans more often.
Even though those holidays are an essential part to honoring the military heroes of America, we must remember how much these amazing role models sacrifice for us each and every day. A few days a year doesn’t cut it with the amount of love these people pour into protecting our country; we must remember them every day. Keeping them in our hearts and prayers is the least we can do to repay them for what they have done for us. Without them, we would be nowhere near where we are today; since that is true, it is only fitting that we honor these important figures in our lives every single hour of every single day of every single year.
For a long time we have known that honoring our veterans is something necessary for us to do. Originating on November 11, 1918, Armistice Day was created to honor veterans who gave up their lives for this free country. That day in November was known as the end of The War to End All Wars, so there was some rejoicing to be done, resulting in the making of a holiday. On June 1, 1954, it was changed to Veteran’s Day; with this revision, people were now able to honor all veterans of war. Making this important alteration was only a small piece of the puzzle to recognizing our veterans more often.
Even though those holidays are an essential part to honoring the military heroes of America, we must remember how much these amazing role models sacrifice for us each and every day. A few days a year doesn’t cut it with the amount of love these people pour into protecting our country; we must remember them every day. Keeping them in our hearts and prayers is the least we can do to repay them for what they have done for us. Without them, we would be nowhere near where we are today; since that is true, it is only fitting that we honor these important figures in our lives every single hour of every single day of every single year.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Good Earth Summative Essay
Good Earth Summative Essay
Cold and warm, large and small, good and bad, these all have paradoxical influences on people and their lives. Never is there just the good or just the evil, but always a good mix of both. Choosing is completely up to us, but we must be aware of how much affect it will have on us. Choices – displayed all over in the novel, The Good Earth , by Pearl Buck – become intertwined with paradox; choosing the wrong one will result in the changing of personal morals, everyday life and the future.
Wang Lung started out as an innocent, inexperienced farmer who had low expectations. Making good choices and decisions helped in the creating of a carefree, problem free, and stress free life. Not only did he now have a wife and children, but the crops were doing great and he had enough money to live comfortably. “At a time like this there was visiting, because each farmer felt that for once Heaven was doing the work in the fields and their crops were being watered without their backs broken for it.”(pg. 43) For a man with good morals, life is perfect right now; this statement describes Wang Lung since he has not made any destructive decisions in his life.
Although making good decisions helped him in the beginning, deciding with evil intentions instead of good – even if it starts out as only once – will eventually ruin his life. Arriving at the city after a drought, Wang Lung consistently thinks about surviving. Begging and many different customs down south are new to him; some he had never even heard of. This once innocent farmer became more and more experienced – learning unthinkable things from whispering gossip in the city – as his trip went on. “When the rich are too rich there are ways, and when the poor are too poor there are ways.”(pg. 119) This quote – stated by a man Wang Lung had met in the South – influenced him to make an evil decision – stealing from a rich man. Making this action leads Wang down a new path, one in which he must leave his old self behind.
Accumulating more and more money every day, his new lifestyle changed his ethics and morals from good to bad. He is no longer satisfied with one woman, so he goes against everything he once believed in and brings home Lotus – a person who brings much evil to the household. “One morning O-lan burst into tears and wept aloud, as he had never seen her weep before, even when they starved, or at any other time.”(pg 19) Not only showing he is breaking her down to a point of tears, the quote also symbolizes that he is slowly killing her with his evil intentions. Wang Lung teaches good morals and ethics, even though he, himself, does not practice them. He is now becoming something he once hoped he would never be – an evil man, with no sense of care for others whatsoever.
Even though he had made bad decisions, there were still good influences trying to draw him back to the good side of paradox. One of these is his second son, an honorable and honest man who takes after Wang Lung’s old self – the one that was left in the city. When there is good there also must be evil, this is where the eldest son comes in. He represents the evil part of paradox, conning Wang Lung into moving into the House of Hwang and wasting all of his money. Both of the sons were strong influences on Wang Lung, but once again he doesn’t have enough strength to overcome the evil and moves into the House of Hwang. “There was nothing left to trouble him in his life, and he could be at peace. But there was no peace.”(pg. 335) After making wrong decisions – no matter how hard he tries – he cannot be at peace.
After making many wrong decisions, one may think that all hope is lost for Wang Lung and his life, but that is wrong. Once he finally takes time to look for the good influences in his life, he realizes that moving back into his old home is all he can do. Overcoming the evil in his life left him able to be at peace. “And he was content, holding it thus, and he thought of it fitfully and of his good coffin that was there; and the kind earth waited without haste until he came to it.”(pg. 359) Deciding to go back to the earth was finally a good choice, which in return made him pleased and happy.
In the end, because of all the bad decisions he had made in his life, the sons came to sell the land, the one thing he was able to hold on to through all the turmoil. This had been coming ever since the trip to the city. He had already changed his future with one small – but definitely not insignificant – decision. Pearl Buck is trying to teach us a lesson from that message; people must strive to listen to the good side of paradox, rather than the bad like Wang Lung did.
Cold and warm, large and small, good and bad, these all have paradoxical influences on people and their lives. Never is there just the good or just the evil, but always a good mix of both. Choosing is completely up to us, but we must be aware of how much affect it will have on us. Choices – displayed all over in the novel, The Good Earth , by Pearl Buck – become intertwined with paradox; choosing the wrong one will result in the changing of personal morals, everyday life and the future.
Wang Lung started out as an innocent, inexperienced farmer who had low expectations. Making good choices and decisions helped in the creating of a carefree, problem free, and stress free life. Not only did he now have a wife and children, but the crops were doing great and he had enough money to live comfortably. “At a time like this there was visiting, because each farmer felt that for once Heaven was doing the work in the fields and their crops were being watered without their backs broken for it.”(pg. 43) For a man with good morals, life is perfect right now; this statement describes Wang Lung since he has not made any destructive decisions in his life.
Although making good decisions helped him in the beginning, deciding with evil intentions instead of good – even if it starts out as only once – will eventually ruin his life. Arriving at the city after a drought, Wang Lung consistently thinks about surviving. Begging and many different customs down south are new to him; some he had never even heard of. This once innocent farmer became more and more experienced – learning unthinkable things from whispering gossip in the city – as his trip went on. “When the rich are too rich there are ways, and when the poor are too poor there are ways.”(pg. 119) This quote – stated by a man Wang Lung had met in the South – influenced him to make an evil decision – stealing from a rich man. Making this action leads Wang down a new path, one in which he must leave his old self behind.
Accumulating more and more money every day, his new lifestyle changed his ethics and morals from good to bad. He is no longer satisfied with one woman, so he goes against everything he once believed in and brings home Lotus – a person who brings much evil to the household. “One morning O-lan burst into tears and wept aloud, as he had never seen her weep before, even when they starved, or at any other time.”(pg 19) Not only showing he is breaking her down to a point of tears, the quote also symbolizes that he is slowly killing her with his evil intentions. Wang Lung teaches good morals and ethics, even though he, himself, does not practice them. He is now becoming something he once hoped he would never be – an evil man, with no sense of care for others whatsoever.
Even though he had made bad decisions, there were still good influences trying to draw him back to the good side of paradox. One of these is his second son, an honorable and honest man who takes after Wang Lung’s old self – the one that was left in the city. When there is good there also must be evil, this is where the eldest son comes in. He represents the evil part of paradox, conning Wang Lung into moving into the House of Hwang and wasting all of his money. Both of the sons were strong influences on Wang Lung, but once again he doesn’t have enough strength to overcome the evil and moves into the House of Hwang. “There was nothing left to trouble him in his life, and he could be at peace. But there was no peace.”(pg. 335) After making wrong decisions – no matter how hard he tries – he cannot be at peace.
After making many wrong decisions, one may think that all hope is lost for Wang Lung and his life, but that is wrong. Once he finally takes time to look for the good influences in his life, he realizes that moving back into his old home is all he can do. Overcoming the evil in his life left him able to be at peace. “And he was content, holding it thus, and he thought of it fitfully and of his good coffin that was there; and the kind earth waited without haste until he came to it.”(pg. 359) Deciding to go back to the earth was finally a good choice, which in return made him pleased and happy.
In the end, because of all the bad decisions he had made in his life, the sons came to sell the land, the one thing he was able to hold on to through all the turmoil. This had been coming ever since the trip to the city. He had already changed his future with one small – but definitely not insignificant – decision. Pearl Buck is trying to teach us a lesson from that message; people must strive to listen to the good side of paradox, rather than the bad like Wang Lung did.
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