| Pearl S. Buck has cross-cultural background of life in both China and the United States, she created "The Good Earth Trilogy" that described an epic of Chinese farmers that showed the unknown Chinese culture, and because of this, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. In China, the relationship between Farmers and land is a process of development and changes.This paper mainly studied the changes of the farmers and land relations which shows in the "The Good Earth Trilogy" written by Pearl S. Buck.The first chapter introduces some of the basic situation of the Pearl S. Buck, and the development of studies on Pearl S. Buck at home and abroad. The studies with Pearl S. Buck can be divided into three stages. The first stage was in the1930s and1940s.During this period, a wide range of translation and introduction of the Pearl S. Buck’s works appeared in the domestic. Critics had different points of view that some praised and the others criticized, and the evaluation were different also. The second stage was in the1960s, which affected by the political atmosphere at home and abroad. Pearl S. Buck was mainly to be judged and blockaded, and was considered to be a reactionary literati. The third stage was from the1980s to the present. She was given a new evaluation and new positioning in the domestic. Growing number of scholars began to pay attention to and make a study of Pearl S. Buck. Meanwhile, the research perspective is also increasingly diverse, and it was emerged a number of Pearl S. Buck research experts which represented by Wang Feng Zhen.The second chapter of this paper mainly analysis the relationship of Wang Long and the land in this ".The Good Earth Trilogy ". Among this, it clearly presents the different definition of farmer and land. Wang Long is the epitome of Chinese traditional farmers on the land, and he has a deep nostalgic feelings to land. Chinese farming culture makes the farmer and the land form a relationship related by flesh and blood. Wang Long was born in a poor family, and he knew the significance of the land for the farmers. He regards the land as his life, and he will firmly grasp the land. Once he has extra money, he will buy land immediately as the land can give him a sense of security. In the famine years, even if the whole family were in the edge of life and death, he was still not willing to sell the land. He believes that where there is the land, there is the hope. He fled to the South, Because of an robbing to a rich family, he got a big windfall. After that, his life turned around. And eventually he became the local squire. After becoming rich, he was lost for a period of time. In the end he found himself in the land, and backed to the land. In his later years, he heard his sons planning to sell his land. He cried sad and told the family that selling the land is the beginning of the decline of the family. He died and was buried in the earth.And he finally really blended himself with the land."The trilogy of the land" not only reflects Wang Long’s strong love to land, also reflects the agricultural civilization’s strong effect to Wang Long. Wang Long has a very strong sense of family. Even though his uncle often blackmails him, and he knows that blind obedience is not right, he has no courage to revolt, as he regards him as one of his family members no matter what his uncle done to him. At the same time, the social attitude that men are superior to women is very strong, so the farmers have a very strong desire to have a son. Furthermore, the utilitarian attitude to God, and lack of true spirituality, make people deal with life from the practical and utilitarian point of view. Wang Long himself is a kind and tolerant farmer who shines with the traditional virtues of quality, and has their own moral bottom line.The third chapter of this thesis mainly analyses the relationship between Wang Da、Wang Er、Wang San and the land. Wang Da is the eldest son of the Wang Long, and the Wang Long has placed a lot of hope on this son, also Wang Da has been ranked as his much-vaunted son. However, gradually he has become a pleasure-seeking and lazy person. The only thing that Wang Da was interested in was indulged in vocal music. The land is the basic guarantee of Wang Da’ life as well as is insurance property in a time of war. Wang Da relies on farm land for life, yet filled the land with disgust. Because land needs to manage, it makes him feel very trouble. As we all know, the land represents hard-working and pay, that is what he want to escape. Wang Er is a tricky trader, is very hard to everyone. Not only hard to the farmers but also to his relatives, even to his child. Even though He is very rich, he still pretends to be poor. He has no feelings for land, the farm land just as a tool of making money for him. Wang San is a local warlord. When he was very young, was asked to work on the land and become a worthy successor. Thus, finally the land has become his bondage, which led to his dream cannot be achieved. Afterwards, he ran away from home, to the south to join the army, and has armed forces of his own. The land which his father left to him helps him realize his dream. He sold the land and got money in order to have his army. The land helps him successfully, but he has contempt for the land.The fourth chapter of this paper mainly analyses the relationship between Wang Yuan and the land. Wang Yuan is the representative of the third generation, from childhood he was bred up as the warlords by his father, also never has the experience of work on land. Nevertheless, he has a strong love of farm land.It is only through close to the earth that he can feel peace of mind. Later, he went to other seaboard cities, even to go abroad, away from home, away from land. He often feels very frustrated, because of far from land. He comes back to China, after he experienced a series of reality and dream gap blow. Finally he finds his own way that is use agricultural technology to help farmers, increase crop yield.He chose live together with land.Chapter five analyzes the "Rural Trilogy" by Mao Dun, a famous writer of the same period. Mao Dun’s "Rural Trilogy" includes "Spring Silkworms","Autumn Harvest", and" Winter Ruins", which reflect the pathetic destiny of silkworm raisers such as old Tong Bao. There a re similarities and differences between Pearl S. Buck, and Mao Dun’s standpoints in reflecting the Chinese farmers’ fate. In the relationship between farmers and land, Pearl S. Buck think the traditional farmers have a deep love for land, Mao Dun think so. From the perspective of Pearl S. Buck shows that farmers will be rational back to land, but Mao Dun think the young people will leave the land to pursuit of happiness. Pearl S. Buck views that technology innovation is the only choice for farmers. But Mao Dun considers that only against can bring happiness to farmers. Old Tong Bao are the same with farmer Wang Long who has many traditional virtues---diligence, kindness, tolerance, moral principle, from the perspective of personal image. Pearl S. Buck had a warmhearted expectation to Chinese farmers that the farmers’problems can be solved by the way of change. However, Mao Dun held different point that the fundermental problem of farmer is overthorwing the privileged class as the landlord and making the farmers have farmland come true. |
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