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357 pages, Paperback
First published March 2, 1931
‘The earth lay rich and dark, and fell apart lightly under the points of their hoes.... Some time, in some age, bodies of men and women had been buried there, houses had stood there, had fallen, and gone back into the earth. So would also their house, some time, return into the earth, their bodies also. Each had his turn at this earth. They worked on, moving together—together—producing the fruit of this earth—speechless in their movement together.’
They worked on, moving together—together—producing the fruit of this earth.The following quote is an explanation of Wang Lung's friend Ching as to why he participated with a group trying to rob his house. Ironically, Wang Lung himself participates in thievery from a rich man's house at a later time in the story.
Hunger makes thief of any man.This following excerpt is from a heart breaking scene in the book. Wang Lung asks his wife to give him the pearls she's wearing so he can give them to his new concubine.
Then slowly she thrust her wet wrinkled hand into her bosom and she drew forth the small package and she gave it to him and watched him as he unwrapped it; and the pearls lay in his hand and they caught softly and fully the light of the sun, and he laughed. But O-lan returned to the beating of his clothes and when tears dropped slowly and heavily from her eyes she did not put up her hand to wipe them away; only she beat the more steadily with her wooden stick upon the clothes spread over the stone.The following is from the end of the book when Wang Lung exclaims how important it is that the land never be sold. The reader knows that the sons will sell the land as soon as he dies.
Out of the land we came and into it we must go—and if you will hold your land you can live—no one can rob you of land. . . . If you sell the land, it is the end.