S. Buck's The Good Earth And The Possibility Of Anti-Orientalism
‘The Good Earth’ and the Possibility of ‘Anti-Orientalist’ Orientalism
In 1931, American author Pearl S. Buck published The Good Earth, an English-language novel depicting a peasant’s life in rural China. The novel was immediately a financial and critical success; after selling millions of copies, it would win the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. Buck’s writing was praised for its evenhanded and insightful portrayal of Chinese culture and society. Retrospectively, however, many scholars have criticized it as a well-intentioned but reductionist and Orientalist treatment of China. Using Said’s conception of Orientalism as an analytical framework, this essay examines and evaluates charges of Orientalism in The Good Earth. This evaluation pays particular attention to Buck’s background and experiences in China. Next, it discusses
…show more content…
The novel’s fictional version of China is sometimes an unfairly bleak portrayal of the country, and its most shocking scenes cohere with false Orientalist narratives of Western imperialism and Asian inferiority. However, for an American author, Buck writes with unique authority; few Westerners in her era could match her breadth of knowledge about China, and even fewer could match her dedication to the advancement of cultural empathy with China. Despite the inescapable influences of dominant Orientalist narratives, Buck was able to craft a socially truthful, yet relatable text for Western audiences. Looking back at the outsize impact of The Good Earth, it becomes clear that it defies conventional definitions of Orientalism. Rather than assigning the ‘Orientalist’ label as a veiled accusation of racism and ignorance, scholars should instead recognize that—with the appropriate author intentionality and real-world impact—certain Orientalist works could be culturally acceptable, if not valuable
Racial Fault Lines Analysis
1871 Words | 8 PagesChapter six examines the anti-Chinese sentiment with the emerging class antagonism and turmoil between white capitalists and workers. The unwelcomed arrival of Chinese immigrants brought along their own social organizations such as the huiguan, fongs, and tongs. These types of social organizations secured areas of employment and housing for Chinese immigrants in California. This social structure that was unknown to Anglos led them to also categorize Chinese on the same level as Indians by depicting them as lustful heathens whom were out to taint innocent white women. These images were also perpetuated onto Chinese women, thus, also sexualizing them as all prostitutes.
Heavenly Khan Book Report
1247 Words | 5 PagesXiong uses battles, executions, assassinations, and scandals to appeal to readers of any genre. Once a reader gets into the book they are hooked in the epic events of the book and the deep look into the ruling class. Unfortunately, Xiong’s novel might somewhat difficult to get into for many readers with no experience in Chinese history. Xiong also attempts to utilize dialogue that often comes off as underdeveloped or simplistic.
What Is The Theme Of The Rape Of Nannking By Iris Chang
1595 Words | 7 PagesThe Rape of Nanking, written by Iris Chang, is a documentary style book that offers inside previews to the horrifying atrocities that occurred in Nanking, the capital of the Republic of China, between December 1937 and February 1938. Chang’s writing style is straightforward and unfiltered, offering no barrier between the reader and the horrific events that are unveiled in the text. The book begins with a brief introduction of Chinese and Japanese cultural background, explaining the beliefs of the Chinese Confucianism and the Japanese Samurai; both of which greatly affect the reasons the war was so gruesome. It also opens the eyes of the reader as to why Chang would want to pursue such a gripping and controversial topic. One reason for this
The Rape Of Nanking Sparknotes
895 Words | 4 PagesIn addition to the detailed accounts of the atrocities themselves, Chang also explores the aftermath of the occupation. She describes the efforts of individuals and organizations to provide aid and support to the survivors, as well as the international response to the events. The author also delves into the impact that the occupation had on international relations, particularly between Japan and China, and how it shaped the political landscape in East Asia for years to
Review Of Lisa Lowe's Intimacies Of Four Continents
304 Words | 2 PagesLisa Lowe’s book “Intimacies of Four Continents” attempts to escape the traditional historiography that usually has an Anglo-American perception of history. The recently published book makes a wake-up call to traditional scholarship that tend to prioritize the self-centered view of every matter, even foreign affairs, interpreting historical facts according to this Anglo-American narrow perspective and principles. The scenery of the Intimacies of Four Continents is the European expansion and the Atlantic trade focusing on slave trade followed by the Chinese indentured workers transportation to the Americas in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Lowe argues that scholarship fail to address the Chinese indentured workers that,
Monkey The Journey To The Western Analysis
1015 Words | 5 PagesThe novel Monkey: Journey to the West is one of the greatest classics of Chinese literature. The novel follows the adventure of Tripitaka followed by the protagonist, monkey and his disciples to India in order to find ancient Buddhist scriptures. The story consists of Chinese legends, tales, and superstitions. Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, which are the three main religions in China, play a huge role throughout this story. In the adaptation of Monkey: Journey to the West by David Kherdian, religions are often woven in to the journey of the traveling companion in order to show the path toward self-cultivation and collective harmony.
American Born Chinese Thesis
880 Words | 4 PagesIn the novel “American Born Chinese” by Gene Luen Yang (2006), it talks about three different people’s stories. The author starts off with telling a story about a monkey called the Monkey King, who lives in the jungle, seeking for higher power to become considered a god in the book. The author also tells a story about an American born Chinese boy named Jin Wang, who moves from San Francisco and struggles with fitting in at a new school. The last story the author tells is about a boy named Danny who has his cousin Chin-Kee from China visit every year. Danny ends up struggling to keep his reputation in adequate shape at school after his cousin visits causing him to switch schools often.
Why Is It Important To Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now?
547 Words | 3 PagesI decided to switch my artifact for the research paper from John Erick Dowdle’s No Escape (2015) to Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979) because I think this film is more suitable for what I want to research, which is how and why the media actively shapes Americans’ perception of historical events. I am also especially interested in the role Orientalism plays in this process. Unlike No Escape, Apocalypse Now has a lot more historical significance because it came out a few years after the Vietnam War (1955-1975) and is considered one of the most famous films about the Vietnam War. In addition to that, there is more room for debate about the significance of the film and its portrayal of Southeastern Asians.
Gene Luen Yang's Boxers Chapter Summary
600 Words | 3 PagesGene Luen Yang offers a humanistic perspective on western imperialism in China during the late nineteenth century to early twentieth century in his graphic novel Boxers, a tragic narrative about Chinese grassroots resistance against foreign occupation in which an armed revolution ultimately fails. The novel focuses on religious identity, and cultural connections in the face of invasion. Boxers highlights the negative effects of imperialism through clashes between different religions, ideologies and power structures. Therefore, the criticism of western imperialism presented in Boxers could support a world systems theory approach to international relations because it shows to exploitation through westernization and the squandering of cultural
Pa Chin's Family Character Analysis
634 Words | 3 PagesFamily by Pa Chin is a captivating novel that describes what life in China was like in the twentieth century. Confucianism, a big religion in China at the time, was heavily focused on filial piety. Filial piety is the relationship of obedience, in which the elders are to be respected by the younger generation (Wu, lecture notes, 2015). This religion was one of the main structures on how the society was ran. Chin represents how the younger generation was upset with how the old traditions of the Confucian system were ran and that they were ready to change it.
Compare And Contrast Ibn Battuta And Marco Polo
793 Words | 4 PagesIbn Battuta and Marco Polo are both known for being the world’s greatest long distance travelers, however, because of their different backgrounds it had influenced the way in which each traveler wrote about their experiences in China. This contrast is dominantly believed to have been influenced by their different religious backgrounds, and how each had viewed the world. This was ultimately is influenced by ones cultural and religious background. In this essay I will examine the different experiences that both Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo had experienced during their visits in China. Ibn Battuta, a well-educated Islamic scholar born and raised by a wealthy family in Tangier, Morocco, he had begun his journey at the age of 21.
Amy Tan A Pair Of Tickets Analysis
1309 Words | 6 PagesA Pair of Tickets In “A Pair of Tickets,” Amy Tan described the journey of Jing-Mei Woo, a middle-aged, Chinese-American woman, to China where she experienced a compelling change in herself. The author herself is Chinese-American, which enabled her to use insightful experiences in the story that were similar to her own experiences to better illustrate the emotions that Jing-Mei felt. Reminiscing about her own trip to China, Tan wrote: “As soon as my feet touched China, I become Chinese” (Tan 146). As Jing-Mei made the long travel to her motherland, she experienced a series of events, met her long-lost relatives, reflected on her own memories, and listened to stories about her mother’s past, deepening the connection that she had with her mother
The Importance Of Communication In The Joy Luck Club
1225 Words | 5 PagesThroughout the entire novel, the mothers and daughters face inner struggles, family conflict, and societal collision. The divergence of cultures produces tension and miscommunication, which effectively causes the collision of American morals, beliefs, and priorities with Chinese culture which
Analysis Of The Woman Warrior By Maxine Hong Kingston
1147 Words | 5 PagesThe Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston addresses prevalent topics faced in America today. How should women act? Should women be treated differently from men? In her memoir, Kingston faces many obstacles with her Chinese-American identity such as finding her voice as a young woman. In “White Tigers,” Kingston tells her own version of a popular Chinese ballad, “Fa Mu Lan,” while incorporating her own reality back into the section.
The Power Dynamics In And China Has Hands By T. Tsiang
1704 Words | 7 PagesYou hurt me! I thought you were born in China, the land of Confucius, Lao-Tze and Buddha. But you are as tough as any white brat I ever met when I was South!” (106). In this single moment, Pearl Chang subverts the power dynamic in two ways.
More about S. Buck's The Good Earth And The Possibility Of Anti-Orientalism
Racial Fault Lines Analysis
1871 Words | 8 PagesHeavenly Khan Book Report
1247 Words | 5 PagesWhat Is The Theme Of The Rape Of Nannking By Iris Chang
1595 Words | 7 PagesThe Rape Of Nanking Sparknotes
895 Words | 4 PagesReview Of Lisa Lowe's Intimacies Of Four Continents
304 Words | 2 PagesMonkey The Journey To The Western Analysis
1015 Words | 5 PagesAmerican Born Chinese Thesis
880 Words | 4 PagesWhy Is It Important To Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now?
547 Words | 3 PagesGene Luen Yang's Boxers Chapter Summary
600 Words | 3 PagesPa Chin's Family Character Analysis
634 Words | 3 PagesCompare And Contrast Ibn Battuta And Marco Polo
793 Words | 4 PagesAmy Tan A Pair Of Tickets Analysis
1309 Words | 6 PagesThe Importance Of Communication In The Joy Luck Club
1225 Words | 5 PagesAnalysis Of The Woman Warrior By Maxine Hong Kingston
1147 Words | 5 PagesThe Power Dynamics In And China Has Hands By T. Tsiang
1704 Words | 7 Pages