The Good Earth, by Pearl Buck. Essay on how Wang Lung is in cnflict between his desires and his traditional values. Explains which characters are on each side of the conflict.

                                   The Good Earth Wang Lung is a very self-conscience character. Throughout the novel he makes his decisions based upon the thoughts of others rather than his own. Consequently, many characters contribute to Wang Lung's internal struggle between his desires and his traditional values.         In the opening of the novel Wang Lung has chosen a wife he has never laid eyes on. Before he was on his way to pick her up from the House of …

…he had never had anything, so he never wanted much of anything more. When Wang Lung became wealthy his priorities all began change. Instead of being content with what he had, he finds himself wanting more and more, drowning in a pool of greed. The contributing factor to this change was the other characters in the novel. Without them Wang Lung's desires would not have been so great, and his traditional values not as important.