Pearl Buck the prolific, Pulitzer Prize-winning American author, who was far ahead of her time. She was awarded the Nobel Prize for her rich and genuine epic description of Chinese peasant life and masterpieces of biography. Her work The Good Earth is marked for her excellent description of peasant life in epic style.

She is the writer who portrayed Chinese peasant life truthfully than any of the contemporary writers. She is the most widely translated author in the history of American literature.She is a brilliant observer and depicts the life of the Chinese people marvellously in her life.She is not a writer who worked hard to achieve this talent. For her everything comes naturally. She lived among the Chinese folk and they were more like her kith and kin. So it was easier for to paint the picture of Chinese people and their lifestyle beautifully. She has been among the Chinese during their prosperity and hardships.

In The Good Earth Buck gives us a clear picture of typical Chinese peasants their values and believes. She was admired by their traditional farming methods, which she believed, required no improvement. Buck performed her unique role as a brilliant writer to change the American image of the Chinese people in general.

Her apolitical description of Chinese peasant life improved the position of Chinese people in American minds.The Good Earth is a typical example of her talent in which she depicts the ups and downs of a poor rural peasant family. As an American Buck is a stranger to the lifestyle of the peasants. Though she had lived among them she had to study in depth the culture that varied completely from the her.

The Good Earth is a marvelous account of the peasant life that most of her contemporaries failed to capture in their works. The brilliant observation of the writer is explicit in each and every word in the work.

Her masterpiece highlights the life of a poor farmer who possesses the same primitive soul as his forefathers. His fortune clings on a single string that is the earth. For him earth is the ruling power of his fortune. And also it gives him the full value of his labours. He worships his land and he seems to be made of the same stuff as the yellow brown earth.

In contrast to the wealthy Hwang family Wang Lung, the protagonist is portrayed as a simple and poor farmer who respects his land. He has an intimate relationship with earth. Like a child to the mother, never wants to separate himself from the other. He spends great deal of his time in the field. He worships earth deity and in the opening chapter itself we can see Wang Lung burning incense for the earth gods.

Buck’s peasants are hardworking and modest. He is the representing figure of Chinese farmers Buck admired. Wang Lung is a poor young farmer in rural China. During the time in which the novel takes place, Chinese society shows signs of modernization while remaining deeply connected to ancient traditions and customs.

The Good Earth is often praised as a Chinese peasant epic. It is full of the struggle and hardships of the peasants. Wang Lung the central character around whom the plot revolves is a representative of the Chinese peasants. His method of tilling and toiling in the land is very much admired by the readers. He is ignorant and knows only to cultivate the land. He is the son of mother earth with whom he shows an intimate relationship. Though he had hard times in his life and encountered death face to face he was never ready to separate himself from his land.

A peculiar characteristic that can be noted in Wang Lung is his attachment to the soil. Even though he was so much excited to get married he never forgets to take a look at his lovely fields. Buck has beautifully described through her compelling words the beauty of Wang Lung’s land and the ever remaining soul of the typical Chinese farmer in Wang Lung.

The farmer in Wang Lung was diverted for an instant and he stooped to examine the budding heads. They were empty as yet and waiting for the rain. He smelled the air and looked anxiously at the sky. Rain was there, dark in the clouds, heavy upon the wind. He would buy a stick of incense and place it in the little temple to the Earth God. On a day like this he would do it.(7)

Wang Lung is literally shocked to hear that Hwang family wishes to sell land. It is just because he feels that land is directly connected with life and thus he cannot imagine parting with it and is surprised to hear that the Hwangs would sell their land. As Wang Lung had an unending respect and love towards the land which he considers his soul, he never wanted to miss the opportunity to buy some if he could. When he first buys a piece of land from the Hwang family, Wang Lung is enormously happy.

During the famine, to Wang Lung, keeping the fields alive is just as important as keeping his own family alive; the destruction of the land means the fall of his own family.

At last the water in the pond dried into a cake of clay and the water even in the well sunk so low that O-lan said to him, “If the children must drink and the old man have his hot water the plants must go dry.”

Wang Lung answered with anger that broke into a sob, “Well, and they must all starve if the plants starve.” It was true that all their lives depended upon the earth. (68)

This clearly shows how he is attached to his land. When his uncle tries to get him to sell his land, Wang Lung cries out in protest that he will never sell the land that is man’s birthplace as well as his burial place. While living in the southern city during the famine, Wang Lung continually yearns for the land. Although life in the city is hard and agonizing, the thought of his land assures peace for him. When Wang Lung learns that his second son has stolen a piece of meat from a woman, he is in despair because he feels that his sons are growing up as thieves only because of their stay in the city, and also he thinks that if they were in their land thy would have never done any bad deed. He tells himself that they must go back to the land because city life is corrupting and evil.

Wang Lung’s father, like Wang Lung, also cherishes a deep faith in the land. And he understands his son more than anybody else. When Wang Lung and his family finally return to the land, Wang Lung cannot part from it nor can he stop thinking about it. Wanting to be alone with his land, Wang Lung spends many days planning and thinking about what to plant.

But when Lotus comes in to his mind things take a different turn. Wang Lung forgets the land for a while when he is sick in love with Lotus. When Lotus comes to his house he is plagued by various domestic problems. But he is immediately healed of his all his worries and sickness when the waters in the fields recede and Wang Lung start to work his land, his soil is a healing agent for Wang Lung.

Wang Lung is so attached to his land that despite the threat his bandit uncle poses to his family, he cannot move to town for fear of living without his land close by. When Wang Lung is burdened by troubles in his household, he turns to the land for comfort. After he has worked on the land, he immediately feels better. When the locusts threaten to destroy his crops, Wang Lung works on his land for seven consecutive days. It is exhausting, but healing at the same time.

O-lan is a true companion of Wang Lung. She also acknowledges and respects the earth. As she lies dying, O-lan tells Wang Lung that he must not sell the land in his futile attempts to cure her. She thought that death is inevitable for her, but the land will always be there even after her death. And it will be a constant companion to Wang Lung and the family.

Wang Lung is always reluctant to part with his land. When his eldest son puts forward the his plan that the family will go live in great House of Hwang, Wang Lung initially dismisses the suggestion, reminding his ungrateful son that if it had not been for the land, the family would have starved and the son himself would not have become a lord.

Even after having moved to the house in town, Wang Lung still returns to the land everyday to walk around it . Over the years, Wang Lung ages and changes, but one thing remains within him - his consideration and never fading love for the land. Although he leaves it for a while after having built his fortune, he always returns to the land every spring.

The last scene of the book is noteworthy as it shows the over attached soul of the old Chinese peasant who is not at all changed according to modern trends and is still chained to his mother earth. When Wang Lung overhears his sons talking about selling the land he hysterically yells at his two sons.

“Now, evil, idle sons–sell the land” …”It is the end of a family–when they begin to sell the land,” he said brokenly. “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…”

He is appalled, distressed and unable to control his tears at the mention of selling the land. He scolds his sons, telling them that it will be the end of the family if they begin to sell the land

… the old man let his scanty tears dry upon his cheeks and they made salty stains there. And he stooped and took up a handful of the soil and he held it and he muttered, “If you sell the land, it is the end.”

And his two sons held him, one on either side, each holding his arm, and he held tight in his hand the warm loose earth. And they soothed him and they said over and over, the elder son and the second son, “Rest assured, our father, rest assured. The land is not to be sold.”

But he never knew the plans of his evil sons. While consoling the old man they are determined of their plans. “But over the old man’s head they looked at each other and smiled”. (TGE 357) Through Wang Lung Buck is depicting a typical Chinese peasant with all values and flaws.

Buck compares and contrasts Wang Lung’s knowledge of nature to the Hwang family’s disrespect for their land. As a poor farmer, Wang Lung has an intimate relationship with the earth. It is his god and he trusts it more than anything else. He spends a great deal of time in the fields, alone with nature as he has no worker to give him a hand. His religion is based on worshipping the earth deity, for whom he burns incense before the wedding feast. This offering indicates Wang Lung’s recognition that the land is more powerful than he is. Because of this recognition, Wang Lung is frugal, hardworking, and modest.

But the case with the Hwangs is different. As it is a rich family, its members do not personally involve themselves in the labour from which they derive their riches. Instead, they hire labourers and buy slaves to work for them. And in this way hiring others to do their work they become estranged from their land.

Because of their ignorance the Hwangs easily forget the fortune their land has given them. The life lived by them is that of joy and pride because of the abundant wealth forgetting completely that it is a gift from their land. For this reason, they have become careless with their money. They spend their time with idle pleasures, buying expensive items, such as rich foods, opium and drinks and also ruining the family morals by spending money for sensual pleasures.

Buck ascribes Wang Lung’s success to his continuing devotion to the land, and the Hwangs’ decline to their distance from it. But the famine that reduces Wang Lung to grinding poverty provides a glimpse of the hard life facing poor farmers in old China. The drought is also a reminder that the earth is the only constant force in the world. For all of his hard work, Wang Lung is subject to the whims of nature.

But when Wang Lung becomes rich he tends to bear a resemblance to the Hwangs .This transformation has been foreshadowed by Wang’s obvious desire for material success and by his admiration of the frills of wealth. At last he achieves his goal of accumulating a great fortune: his wealth equals what the Hwangs’ once had. But in becoming wealthy, he begins to fall prey to the same decadent practices that eventually destroyed the Hwangs.

His wealth creates as many problems, but Buck does not seem to imply that wealth alone causes these problems. Rather, it is the idleness and moral decay that often comes with wealth that is at the root of Wang Lung’s difficulties. And thus Buck states the importance of morality for a typical Chinese peasant group or for a whole race as an unavoidable thing.

Through the character of O-lan, Buck brings a typical Chinese peasant woman who never gets exhausted in doing her duties or fulfilling the commands of the male superpower in the house. O-lan seems to gain sympathy from the readers for her submissive nature. She is a plain looking, enduring and inarticulate woman who does her duty without any fail even in their hardships. She can be compared to the earth itself as she is resourceful also.

O-lan is a hard working woman. She does all her house hold works and also works with Wang Lung in the field. She keeps on doing her work from morning till night without any complaint. She is not beautiful as Lotus. She is, as Wang Lung’s father said is the perfect one to work in the field and to produce children.

To learn more about the mastery in Buck’s depiction it is necessary to go back to the traditional Chinese family in Buck’s time and the position of Chinese peasants at that time. China is one of the world’s greatest powers. It is the vast country with the largest amount of people and huge amount of natural resources.

In The Good Earth(1931) Buck portrays China with its traditional values and believes. The families follow the customs and practices that have prevailed for over hundreds of years. The people themselves are divided into the peasantry and the gentry. The family structure demonstrated by Buck is not restricted to the Wang Lung family, but was a part of every rural Chinese home in the early 1900s. Every member’s experiences within the family structure are determined by the role and expectations placed on them by the society, and Buck was careful to include these experiences in Wang Lung’s family.

This was perhaps one of the reasons why Buck raised Wang Lung from a peasant to a great landlord, so that she could establish an extended family structure that was ideal to all Chinese families. When Wang Lung was just married he lived in a somewhat simple nuclear family, except for the presence of his father that would make it like an extended family. Moreover, the Chinese perception of a nuclear family included the father, but when members other than the children are introduced, the family would then be considered an extended one. Thus, Wang Lung’s nuclear family comprises of himself, O-lan, his wife, and his father. After he had his children, there were three generations under his roof. Wang Lung soon began to prosper, and had an extended family when his uncle and his family moved into Wang Lung’s house.

Buck draws parallels between the rise and fall of families and the cycles of the natural world—the harvest’s beginning and end is compared to birth and death. She suggests that just as the seasons change, great families come and go, and fortunes rise and fall.

Wang Lung’s family, which works hard and loves the land, is entering its springtime, while the Hwang family, which is materialistic and extravagant, is entering its autumn, and nothing is unchangeable but the earth itself.

The idea that all human life begins and ends in the unchanging earth is the bedrock of the novel, as well as the source of its title. The novel repeatedly insists that the land deserves respect and that those who do not accord it this respect will eventually fall on hard times .Buck’s portrayal of Chinese culture remains objective and understated in tone throughout these chapters.

In traditional Chinese culture, the silence of women was highly valued, and O-lan, a conscientious woman, is almost always silent. But even though almost nothing is learnt about O-lan’s character from her speech, a great deal is revealed through her actions. She shows her pleasure with Wang Lung by bringing him hot tea in the morning.

She shows her great pride in her home by taking care to make it look the best it can; she cleans and mends household items before joining Wang Lung in the fields. Her actions establish her as extraordinarily capable, hardworking, and resourceful person. Buck hints at dark episodes in O-lan’s past, as evidenced by O-lan’s unexplained refusal to allow anyone from the house of Hwang attend her during her labour.

Buck’s characterization of O-lan demonstrates the importance that Chinese culture ascribed to women’s labour. O-lan’s labour is crucially important to Wang Lung, for with her help, he is able to produce a huge harvest and lay the foundations for future success. O-lan’s skill at laboring makes Wang Lung’s initial disappointment by her unbound feet seem foolish, since O-lan would not be able to work in the fields with the tiny, painful feet produced by foot-binding.

As Wang Lung’s previously good fortunes take a turn for the worse, Buck underscores the differences between Western and Chinese cultural values, asking her Western readers to understand how moral values and desperate circumstances might drive the novel’s characters to act as they do.

It is obvious that the work comes out of Buck’s careful analysis of the folk. The work glitters with outstanding presentation and style which even marked as the quality that an epic possesses. Through her work it is clear that the peasants were portrayed life like and now it will definitely excite the readers to find out the reason for its survival as an epic.

The Chinese have been using ginseng tea for their health for thousands of years. Ginseng has been revered in the Orient as an almost magical natural supplement with amazing benefits for those who use it regularly. It is the most famous Chinese herb, and it is the most widely recognized plant used in traditional medicine ? with a legendary reputation as an overall body tonic, rejuvenator and anti-aging supplement.

Oriental medicine sees ginseng as an essential element in a wide range of prescriptions, and regards it as both a preventative and a cure. Although ginseng is usually thought of as a Chinese remedy, the ginseng that grows in America was independently discovered by Native Americans, who also used it for its medicinal properties.

It was discovered that the weather and soil conditions of the United States and Canada are suitable for growing ginseng. Korea possesses all the prerequisites to produce the best quality ginseng in the world: climate, soil and cultivation technology handed down from generation to generation that serve to obtain and maintain worldwide reputation. Experts agree that in order to get the best results, people must know how to make the best choice by analyzing their body’s characteristics and needs first before purchasing any type of ginseng.

There are many ways to eat and drink ginseng: the most popular is tea, but it is also possible to make soups, put it in food, or even just eat the plant’s leaves as it is. Commercially, ginseng is taken as tea, in capsules, in liquid form from viles, or even by eating the root itself. Eleutherococcus can be taken as an herbal tea, dried root extract, tincture, or water extract.

American Ginseng is not a drug and should not be taken as such. Now, this is where a group of herbs that are utilized throughout the world can help us?they have been called “adaptogens”, and are normally herbs that are taken to aid the body adapt to and endure stress. All forms of ginseng are said to aid in reducing stress, improving vitality and boosting the immune system.

Function of American ginseng can boost the immune system, and therefore increase resistance to disease. Siberian ginseng, “Eleutherococcus senticosus” is described as an adaptogen, a compound thought to be able to normalise the functioning of the body whatever form of disease is present. Eleuthero, formerly Siberian Ginseng, (Glandular) is a member of the ginseng family, though it is of a different genus than other popular ginsengs such as the Panax variety.

Due to Korean ginseng’s unique appearance, ancient herb doctors interpreted this perception to mean that ginseng was a cure-all for the entirety of human illness. History of American ginseng Native American people may have considered this herb a means to increase female fertility. This is considered the most stimulating type of ginseng.

There have been reports that Asian ginseng may possibly decrease the effectiveness of the blood-thinning medication. Siberian ginseng contains remarkable compounds that favorably affect the adrenal glands, the small glands that rest atop the kidneys and secrete stress-fighting hormones. A double blind study on 93 people suffering from recurrent herpes infections indicates that 2g of Eleutherococcus per day may limit or reduce the frequency of herpes infections.

Spread cleaned roots on a piece of old plywood or screen rack in the shade for drying. 4 Ashwagandha roots when used regularly helps to improve the conditions like emaciation of children, senile debility, rheumatism, in all cases of general debility, nervous exhaustion, brain-fag, low of memory, loss of muscular energy and spermatorrhoea. Effects on mind: As it balances vata and kapha, it improves memory, counteracts the effects of stress and calms mind.

When purchasing any weight loss product, it is important to do your research. Many people are exchanging their opinions about Wu-Yi Source on DietBlogTalk.com

For an additional source, check out Wu-Yi Source on the very popular Sensational.com

Overview

Wu-Yi Sourceâ?¢ weight loss plan is apparently centered on drinking Wu-Yi, the companyâ??s own premium Chinese Slimming Tea.  A diet and exercise program that supposedly follows the latest nutrition and activity guidelines must be followed to benefit from the tea.  The plethora of testimonials posted on the website claim dramatic results, fast results, and easy results from the â??tea dietâ?, however, the individuals have been remuneratedâ??so a conflict of interest is definitely in play.

Ingredients at a Glance

The actual name of the tealeaf used for Wu-Yi tea is not disclosed.  We would venture a guess it is a black, green, or oolong tealeaf, which all come from the Camellia sinensis plant.

Ingredients in Focus

Wu-Yi Source� claims their special, undisclosed blend of tea is sourced from Mt. Wu Yi Shan: the most fertile and mineral-rich land you will find anywhere in China. Supposedly, their tea director visits the mountain on an annual basis in order to select the yield of the highest standard. The goodness of Wu-Yi is due largely to the 17-point quality test he conducts on them before harvesting.  That 17-point quality test must than justify the high price of the tea. 

Positives

�    The advertising for Wu-Yi Source� emphasizes exercise and calorie control to achieve weight loss.

Negatives

�    Tea is a natural diuretic, which may be the cause of the initial weight loss

�    Tea contains caffeine and may not be the best choice for healthy weight loss

�    Expensive tea

�    Misleading advertising

Final Thoughts

The Chinese Slimming Tea the Wu-Yi Sourceâ?¢ plan recommends may be a healthy way to get those antioxidants everyone needs, but then again, it may not be, we cannot be sure because the ingredients are not disclosed.  Whatever weight loss plan you choose the first consideration should be your overall health.  Daily exercise and healthy eating can be two of the most difficult choices to make but they are necessary.  There are supplements available that can assist you in your initial efforts at transforming your lifestyle by reducing cravings and controlling the appetite.  As far as tea goes, caution is the better part of wisdomâ??control caffeine intake and choose only products that disclose their ingredients.

The discovery and the use of tea in China can be traced back to the ancient time of Holy Farmer (a legendary ruler, the second of the Three August Ones, who was supposed to have invented the plough and discovered the curative virtues of plants). The Chinese people often call themselves descendants of Yan Di and the Yellow Emperor. According to historians’ research of the texts, Yan Di refers to the Holy Farmer. About 5,000 years ago, the Holy Farmer, who was thought of as the God of Farming, invented many farm tools and taught people how to grow crops. China is a country where the ancient farming revolution was accomplished very early. Archaeological excavation and historical records prove it is a reliable fact rather than a legend that the Holy Farmer founded methods of agricultural production. The Holy Farmer was also the God of Medicine in Chinese legend. To save the common people from pain, the Holy Farmer selected various wild plants as medicine. Fearless of the sacrifice, he tasted the wild plants himself to learn their effect on the human body. It is said that one day he got poisoned seventy-two times when gathering and tasting herbs on a mountain. Later he found a plant, which was tea. He brewed the leaves in a pottery tripod and then drank the liquid. As a result, the toxins in his body disappeared. Since then, the Chinese people have treated tea as a precious medicine bestowed on human beings by the cosmos. The story illustrates that the Chinese people first used tea as medicine.

In this article, I am going to expose the undiscovered, unheard and unmentioned secrets to stay younger! All you need is the proper care, determination and a positive attitude towards your life. Here are the tips for you to stay young forever:

1. Experience the magic of Beach Sand: Rubbing handfuls of beach sand on your bodies. It helps with cellulite and smoothens and stimulates your skin. This is the most common sight among the Brazilian women.

2. Do Yoga daily: Yoga is considered to be the hidden treasure in the traditions of India which claims to cure any and every disease- right from a mild cold to cancer without the help of any medicine. And if such dangerous diseases can be cured with Yoga, then your aging problem is not a big deal. 30 minutes of Yoga everyday is the best medicine to stay healthy forever. 100% GUARANTEED! The basic purpose of yoga is the purification of the air you breathe clearing the blockage in your body.

3. Camellia oil: This oil is the Japanese geisha secret to a smooth and flawless skin. White camellia nut oil has been used for centuries in Asia, contributing its moisturizing, conditioning, nourishing, and softening benefits to your skin. This special oil also eliminates wrinkles after giving birth, revitalizes hair growth, and treats burns.

4. Drink white tea: This special white tea is famous for preventing free radicals enter into your body. This tea is Chinese anti-aging secret derived from silver tip of the green tea plant.

5. Wash your Face with Ice Cold Water: Drink at least 1.5 liters pure water every day and splash your face 15-20 times twice a day with simple cold water.

6. Sleep on Silk Pillowcases: The Chinese have known the secret of the Health Benefits of Sleeping on Silk Pillowcases for Centuries. Studies have shown that Silk contains a natural protein and 18 essential amino acids that counter the effects of aging especially in the facial skin and calms nerves.

Also, the natural cellular albumen present in the silk speeds up metabolism of skin cells - helping to reduce signs of aging. If compared with the cotton pillows then silk ones score higher as Silk Charmeuse will not absorb natural moisture from your face and hair, or facial beauty creams while you sleep, whereas cotton, being an absorbent fiber will draw all the moisture from your facial skin and hair.

Sleeping on Silk also prevents thinning of hair.

Cotton leads to friction disturbing hair follicles as you move in your sleep leading to hair breakage and split ends. Silk Charmeuse Pillowcases prevent hair from tangling while sleeping because of its special weave.

Now if you implement all the above discussed tips in your lifestyle, then nobody on this earth can stop you from getting younger and healthier than you are.