The other major theme that appears again and again in this novel is that of the common person being uprooted and pulled along based on grand, historical movements. Living in abject poverty, Wang Lung's family is nevertheless honorable to each other, but not a part of the culture of the city -- they neither speak with the same accent, nor have any friends or relatives to help them with emotional support. Just as it is almost unbelievable that a child would be killed, when Wang Lung unwillingly joins a food riot mob and gets the money from the rich man's house they are looting, he uses the money for a moral pursuit -- to return to the home, buy an ox, and farm tools. The sense of complete sacrifice is evident, and then the sadness when we realize that after all Wang Lung and O-Lan went through, the surviving children...
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