The Good Earth

The power that people have in this novel revolve around two things, wealth and what sex you are. Wang Lung is a poor farmer from a small village, and has just as much power as anybody else in his village who are also mostly farmers. However, when he goes to the city for his bride, he loses what little power he has and becomes just another farmer because he is so poor. When he goes to the tea shop before he visits the House of Hwang, he is treated with greater respect because he was the richest one there, and thus had more power. The author demonstrates this when the beggar comes up to him for money. Wang Lung had never been the rich person before and was startled that he was being asked for money. He decided to give him money, but probably so he could feel what being rich was like. When he meets the old lady in the House of Hwang, even though she is a woman she still has more money than him and has more power. The only person that Wang Lung has control over would be his wife, because she is poorer than him and is a woman which makes her nothing more than property to Wang Lung.