What would The Good Earth be without “the good earth”? Nothing. Pearl Buck’s novel was chocked full of mentions of “the good earth.” “The good earth” is obviously the central theme in this novel. Wang Lung and his family are tied to “the good earth” throughout the book. Even when the family was not living on the land, the reader could still identify the strong ties that the family had to the land. It …showed first 75 words of 507 total…

…showed last 75 words of 507 total…up a completely new theme. “The good earth” was not only a symbolic representation of life it was the literal one, sustaining Wang Lung and his family. The characters would have to be changed too. It’s hard to have a peasant farmer, and not have the central theme be “the good earth.” Also, the points that Pearl Buck wanted to make through her writing would have been hard to convey with a different theme.