The Problematic Marital Status In The Good Earth

Ever since its publication in 1931, The Good Earth has been a hot topic among scholars both in China and abroad. This thesis is trying to approach this novel from a new perspective, focusing the analysis upon the marriage between the hero Wang Lung and the heroine O-lan, and how Pearl S. Buck as the author conceals her authorial concern for marriage throughout this work.For personal reasons, Pearl S. Buck had a special concern for marriage, and this concern of hers could be perceived in many of her works. Due to the dominant third-person omniscient narrative structure of this novel, the author does not clearly express this concern but deftly conceals her concern in her work. Here in light of the traditional Chinese marital system, this thesis will apply the theory of double-voicedness proposed by M. M. Bakhtin to analyze the double-voiced discourse concerning the problematic marital status in The Good Earth, bringing to light Pearl S. Buck's implied concern over the protagonists' problematic marriage.