Buck: Sons

Sons

Pearl S. Buck

Published 1932

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This was one of my more challenging books to read aloud. Not for context's sake, but because the words did not glide off my tongue as easily. I had this same issue with The Good Earth, the first book in the Good Earth Trilogy. I have not researched Buck's writing style, if it was intentional to the story; it did not read smoothly like butter but more like refrigerated whipped unsalted butter in a tub, which is supposed to be fluffy and smooth and easy to spread, but is actually coarse and rugged. I know...all that to describe how I struggled with reading aloud. 

But on to the context.

Sons continues where The Good Earth ended. The patriarch, Wang Lung, dies, and his three sons prepare his funeral and divide his property. Each son, who is referred by family name, Wang, and his placement at birth, or later, by a personal characteristic, is unique in his ideals, individuality, and interests. 

Wang the Eldest is an avaricious, overweight, indolent husband and father who prefers women and idleness. He is known as Wang the Landlord. Wang the Second is business keen and does not complicate his life with wastefulness or extra wives. He is known as Wang the Merchant. But the third brother, Wang the Tiger, who rebelled against his father's will in The Good Earth, has returned briefly for the funeral, and he has been expanding his ambition to build and lead his own military. 

He realizes he has no son to train up as a soldier to pass on his army of warriors, and he convinces his two older brothers to spare one of their sons each, which they agree. One proves to be fit to serve, but the other fails. Guess which one failed.

Meanwhile, the majority of the story focuses on Wang the Tiger's successful schemes to take over existing armies and regions of land. He expands his military and extends his small empire. But what he desires more than anything in the world is a son of his own. He later contradicts his own principles on women and takes two wives in the hope that one of them will give him a son, which does happen. And it is his greatest pride, to the point of worship. 

Wang the Tiger conditions his son for the military, but as is common, his son does not share his father's desire. He does not want to be a warrior or lead his father's army. For whatever reason, he is more interested in the farmer, agriculture, and the land. It is as if the story has come full circle, back to Wang Lung, the Patriarch.

As the story closes, Wang the Tiger's son has returned from "military school" in a new uniform. His father asked, 

What strange garb is that you wear?

To which his son replied,

It is the garb of the new army of the revolution.

Wang the Tiger shouted:

It is the army of my enemy! You are my enemy -- I ought to kill you, my son!

The story ends, but it is not final. There is one more in the trilogy: A House Divided. 

Overall, Sons reads like a soap opera. Though I did not include the details of every character in this little blurb, Pearl Buck does not forget about anyone. There is old age and tragedy and death, and plenty of growing up and marriage. The times of China are changing, too. So, we shall see what will become of the House of Wang.

 

Pearl S. Buck  (1892 - 1973) 

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