Knowra Pearl S. Buck Pearl S. Buck Pearl S. Buck was an American novelist and humanitarian whose writing drew on her upbringing in China. Her novel The Good Earth helped earn her the 1938 Nobel Prize in Literature.
The Good Earth : A 1931 novel by Pearl S. Buck about a Chinese farmer and his family amid changing fortunes. This novel became Buck’s best-known work and was central to her international reputation.
Hillsboro, West Virginia : A town in West Virginia where Pearl S. Buck was born in 1892. Buck’s American birthplace contrasts with the Chinese environment in which she spent much of her childhood.
Nobel Prize in Literature : An annual award recognizing outstanding contributions to literature, presented by the Swedish Academy. Buck received the 1938 prize for her rich and truly epic descriptions of Chinese peasant life.
China–United States relations : The diplomatic, economic, and cultural relations between China and the United States. Buck’s public writing influenced American perceptions of China during periods of political change.
East Wind: West Wind : A 1930 novel by Pearl S. Buck about cultural and generational conflict in a Chinese family. Buck’s first published novel introduced themes she developed in later China-set fiction.
Zhenjiang : A city in Jiangsu, China, on the Yangtze River, where Buck grew up. Her childhood in Zhenjiang gave her close familiarity with Chinese language and everyday life.
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction : An American literary award for distinguished fiction published in the United States. Buck won the 1932 prize for The Good Earth .
Orientalism : A framework for analyzing Western representations of Asian societies and cultures, especially in relation to power. Buck’s work has been debated for how it portrays Chinese life for Western audiences.
Sons : A 1932 novel by Pearl S. Buck about the sons of a Chinese farmer and their divergent lives. This sequel to The Good Earth follows the next generation of the Wang family.
Randolph-Macon Woman’s College : A women’s college in Lynchburg, Virginia, now part of the University of Lynchburg. Buck attended the college after returning to the United States for higher education.
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