In the story The Good Earth, Wang Lung shows many characteristics of his personality and how the earth and Chinese traditions affect these characteristics. Set in late eighteenth century China, the story begins with Wang Lung going to the "Great House of Hwang" to collect the wife that was betrothed to him by his father. Wang Lung lived with his father, wife, and five children. Although Wang Lung supplied all the physical needs for his family and upheld all the family traditions, he showed a strong insensitivity through his extra marital affairs. The story continues to portray the trials of their life in a time when a person's livelihood came from the earth. From the earth, Wang Lung receives wealth, food, and prosperity.
             Wang Lung was sometimes caring and sometimes insensitive, but he always followed tradition. Tradition plays a big role in this story because the way he was raised and where he was raised tremendously impacts how Wang Lung lives. He was a caring and compassionate man with a strong sense of family values and adaptation to simple life. For example, Wang Lung showed respect and appreciation for his wife in a time when women were considered to be no more then slaves. In the beginning of the story when Wang Lung was poor, he gave O-lan four silver pieces so she may return to the House of Hwang with pride. He also offered to pay five thousand silver pieces for her recovery after he discovered she had a "fire in her vitals".
             Wang Lung's relationship with his first daughter, which he called "Poor Fool", also showed, although at sometimes hard to see, how loving Wang was. This is seen when he defends her daughter when Lotus calls her an idiot.
             "For he was most angry of all that Lotus dared to curse this child of his and call her idiot, and a load of fresh pain for the girl fell upon his heart."(pg. 212)
             His affection for his daughter was genuine and he was comforted when she was happ...