"Sons" is the second book in the "House of Earth" trilogy, the last being "A House Divided". In "The Good Earth" Ms Buck introduces us to the primary figure in this series, Wang Lung. Thought he dies early in "Sons", he is still the foundation of all of these books. Traditions and customs, respect of others and standing in the community are very important to this people in China during the 1800's. The customs are observed and carried on throughout the generations. In The Good Earth, these traditions are strong not only in the House of Wang, but in all of the people. It is the foundation of their country, and their people and has been since the time before Christ.
As I continue to read this trilogy, my respect for Ms Buck as a writer grows with each book. With seemingly little effort she takes us through the custom driven generation of Wang Lung into the loosening up somewhat in the lives of the second generation. She shows it in the way she uses the words that are spoken. It's a subtle change and something that would be hard to put a finger on, but before you know it you are aware that time has passed in more ways than just the aging of the characters.
"Sons" recounts the lives of the three sons of Wang Lung, known in the earlier book as "Wang the eldest", "Wang the second" and "Wang the youngest". Wang Lung's sons, to him, aren't individuals with hopes and dreams of their own, but are sons whose purpose in life is to continue building what he has begun with future generations as the focus. All is for his sons and his son's sons and so forth. Ancestors and generations to come are important and honored. In contrast, not honored or considered valuable are girl children or women. When Wang's wife, O'lan would have given birth to a new baby, Wang would go in to see her and she would announce that it was a son, or, "It is only a slave. Not important", which meant, it was a female. Girls were looked upon as a liability, someone to clothe and feed only to have them leave the family to bear sons and to build generations for some other family. During times of floods or drought and famine, cannibalism wasn't unheard of nor to see female children disappear not uncommon. When all other life forms were eaten, the female children and the sickly were often devoured. This isn't something that Wang Lung or his family resorted to, however.
As the book progresses and the sons of Wang grow into men with families of their own, Ms Buck develops the two elder son's characters, but not the wives in particular. The children aren't focused on either. Eventually she picks up the person of the youngest Wang son and he is then her focus and the one that she develops more fully than any of the others in the book, in my estimation. Wang the youngest becomes "Wang the Tiger" who is a man of war whose ambition is to become a great lord of war who will rule over larger and larger areas. She picks up his character as he is ready to leave the war lord he has been serving under. This war lord has been losing his hold on the men under him, so Wang the Tiger takes this opportunity to gather these men to himself and invite them to join him onto bigger and greater things. And so he begins his journey toward the greatness as a war lord that he aspires.
This character, Wang the Tiger is very complex. I have tried on several occasions here to review this book and to tell you a bit about all of the characters to no avail. I am unable to draw you a word picture of this man and the China that is to come by the end of this book so I leave that to you to find out for yourself.
The end of "Sons" leave us on the edge of a river of no return. On one side are the customs and traditions carried on for generations (since the 6Th century BC) ready to leap into life that holds nothing but promise and exciting good things for this new younger generation. They are ready to cast off the ways of the ancient ones to establish a new, exciting life. One being promised to them which is more fair to the common man. (See the Boxer Rebellion)
I have begun the third book of this trilogy, "A House Divided". I strongly recommend that you get these three books or the trilogy. You too will become a Pearl S Buck fan and find yourself ending one of her books and looking for another to begin. She's a tremendously talented writer and the Chinese culture she writes about is a fascinating one.
Till next time,
Mary
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