O-Lan In The Good Earth

O-lan and Her Self Appreciation A person’s value should not be determined by what others around them think, but rather how they act and speak. Many good people, though, disregard this and rely on others to tell them their worth and value, all the while catering to these people’s needs. Underappreciated and disregarded, they allow others to label them; never standing up for themselves. In Pearl Buck’s The Good Earth, a perfect example of this type of person would be the character O-lan. She always undervalued herself and placed higher worth on others’ lives, but still strived for what benefited her loved ones the most. O-lan is a simple woman who tries to do what’s best for others. “. . . although O-lan had always cut his robes, making them
“Then O-lan worked in the house and made new clothes for each one and new shoes, and she made coverings for flowered cloth stuffed with warm cotton for every bed . . .” This quote from the book was taken after Wang Lung had come into great wealth and bought even more land from the Great House. O-lan was then able to focus on doing house work. She did as instructed to and went further than told with her work. Arguing and passing around chores was never an option in her mind; she just did it all! Her submissiveness was prime in allowing other people to boss her around. By never standing up for herself, she tripped into a hole that was hard to dig out
“She clutched them greedily as a child might and held them in her hand without speech. When next he looked at her . . . she was nibbling one cautiously, but when she saw him looking at her she covered it again with her hand and kept her jaws motionless.” When O-lan is first granted something, she is hesitant and cautious, as if afraid it would be taken away. As well as afraid, she is shocked to be shown kindness – one action that was never directed towards her. “The pearls? I have them . . . I thought one day I might have them set in earrings.” This contrasts greatly with the scene of the pearls. It shows O-lan with more confidence and a greater appreciation of herself. Earlier, she asked to keep these pearls and is now planning for their use. O-lan has changed from being timid and unappreciative of herself to coming out of her shell, no matter how slight. These jewels awakened her pride and confidence, which she finally mirrored back into the world. After a long and exhausting search, she has finally found her