PAGE 6
Yet, O-lan clearly falls out as the wealthiest character in the book. Like Wang Lung, her attachment to the land yields her a sense of place. Despite her humble nature, many good things come to O-lan. She is an expert forager during times of famine. She comes away with a wad of jewels from the rich man's house and buys her legacy in the family a hundredfold. She has a good moral compass, and makes choices that are sometimes difficult, but most always right. Despite the fact that she's had to endure Lotus and Cuckoo for many years, she is ultimately above them in China's social hierarchy as a wife who has bourn sons. O-lan looks out for the best interests of her children. She dies with the admiration of her husband and children, along with the reassurance of future generations begotten by the marriage of her son to a woman she approves of.

NEXT STORY

Next Story