The Good Earth

support the following statement: Wang Lung and his family have left their old life close to the land, and wang lung's oldest son doesn't seem to grasp the meaning of his father's view of their dependence on the land?

support the following statement: Wang Lung and his family have left their old life close to the land, and wang lung's oldest son doesn't seem to grasp the meaning of his father's view of their dependence on the land?

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By the end of the novel the family has changed drastically. The sons have been raised without knowing the value of the land, all they know are monetary riches. They convince Wang Lung to rent the Great House in the city rather remain in the country. Wang Lung, though occasionally enjoying the pleasures of a rich man (for example fine food and clothes, and another concubine named Pear Blossom) never wholly sheds his identity as a farmer. However, his sons, who are eager to sell the land and make more money, represent the changes to come.Wang Lung's eldest son does not have the land in his blood nor does he possess the ethics and philosophy which the land fosters. The land simply becomes a commodity to sell rather than the vital connection to family and community.

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http://www.gradesaver.com/the-good-earth/study-guide/short-summary/