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Upper School students to read "The Good Earth"
May 7, 2008 12:00 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
All students entering the Upper School have the opportunity to read Pearl Buck’s “The Good Earth” through Darlington’s Summer Reading Program.
When the novel was published in 1931, Buck became famous throughout the world for her moving story of the joys and tragedies of the Chinese peasant farmer Wang Lung and his family. “The Good Earth” was a best seller in the United States, has been translated into more than 30 foreign languages, and was ultimately made into a Broadway play and a motion picture.
For this book, Buck received the Pulitzer Prize in 1932 and the William Dean Howells Medal for Distinguished Fiction in 1935. Her international reputation was established when she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1938, primarily in recognition of “The Good Earth” and two biographies of her parents, “The Exile” and “Fighting Angel,” both published in 1936.
“Though it may seem problematic to choose a book written by an American, rather than a work of authentic Chinese literature, to introduce American students to Chinese customs, there are compelling reasons for using ‘The Good Earth,’” said David Powell, Thatcher Chair of English. “First, it is popular and many students read it anyway, so a critical discussion of it is important. Second, Pearl Buck was mainly committed to describing the Chinese people she knew and to presenting her American audience with the details of Chinese life, customs and attitudes. Finally, as an outsider, Buck takes pains to record many details that a Chinese writer might take for granted.”
As a part of the summer reading initiative, Darlington will welcome attorney T. Timothy Wang as the guest speaker for Parents Weekend in September. Referring to “The Good Earth” as a starting point, he will speak about the history and future of relations between the United States and China. Wang received his J.D. in 2007 from the University of Michigan, where he was an associate editor of the Michigan Law Review and co-founder and president of the Business Law Association and an active member of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association. He holds a B.A. with concentrations in economics and East Asian studies from Harvard University, where he was the recipient of the John Harvard Scholarship for academic distinction. Additionally, he received a Certificate in Chinese Language Studies from National Taiwan University in 1999. Prior to becoming at attorney, Wang served as director of international development at the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama and director of corporate development at the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.
Click here to see the list of optional summer reading books. Offerings include 20 books, each sponsored by a different faculty member, in a wide range of subjects. Participation in optional summer reading is voluntary, but those who choose to sign up are expected to complete a brief assignment and attend a book discussion in the fall. Participants receive credit on their school transcript.
When the novel was published in 1931, Buck became famous throughout the world for her moving story of the joys and tragedies of the Chinese peasant farmer Wang Lung and his family. “The Good Earth” was a best seller in the United States, has been translated into more than 30 foreign languages, and was ultimately made into a Broadway play and a motion picture.
For this book, Buck received the Pulitzer Prize in 1932 and the William Dean Howells Medal for Distinguished Fiction in 1935. Her international reputation was established when she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1938, primarily in recognition of “The Good Earth” and two biographies of her parents, “The Exile” and “Fighting Angel,” both published in 1936.
“Though it may seem problematic to choose a book written by an American, rather than a work of authentic Chinese literature, to introduce American students to Chinese customs, there are compelling reasons for using ‘The Good Earth,’” said David Powell, Thatcher Chair of English. “First, it is popular and many students read it anyway, so a critical discussion of it is important. Second, Pearl Buck was mainly committed to describing the Chinese people she knew and to presenting her American audience with the details of Chinese life, customs and attitudes. Finally, as an outsider, Buck takes pains to record many details that a Chinese writer might take for granted.”
As a part of the summer reading initiative, Darlington will welcome attorney T. Timothy Wang as the guest speaker for Parents Weekend in September. Referring to “The Good Earth” as a starting point, he will speak about the history and future of relations between the United States and China. Wang received his J.D. in 2007 from the University of Michigan, where he was an associate editor of the Michigan Law Review and co-founder and president of the Business Law Association and an active member of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association. He holds a B.A. with concentrations in economics and East Asian studies from Harvard University, where he was the recipient of the John Harvard Scholarship for academic distinction. Additionally, he received a Certificate in Chinese Language Studies from National Taiwan University in 1999. Prior to becoming at attorney, Wang served as director of international development at the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama and director of corporate development at the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.
Click here to see the list of optional summer reading books. Offerings include 20 books, each sponsored by a different faculty member, in a wide range of subjects. Participation in optional summer reading is voluntary, but those who choose to sign up are expected to complete a brief assignment and attend a book discussion in the fall. Participants receive credit on their school transcript.
