d their feet bound to keep them small, this was thought to be attractive. If a woman's feet were bound then she could not be a slave or even walk properly on retarded feet. Rich men sometimes had two wives, one they bought for slave work and the other for beauty. Women were on the bottom of the social food chain, everyone was higher than they were.The social order of China during the Song and Tang Dynasties is correctly represented especially, which is shown through the rise of the gentry class and the slow decline of the aristocratic landowner. The gentry class were well educated men with specific skills who started to become more valuable. In China, peasants were very poor and countless until the gentry class emerged. The gentry class was made up of merchants, shop owners, and skilled artisans. This group can be compared to today's working middle class. The movie shows the revolt of the peasents against the Nobles and Landowners. When the gentry class came in, they began to buy the land from The Great House and give themselves power. Now the educated scholars with skills were the respected powerful. When Wang Lung fell into his wealth he began to buy more land and reap the benefits from the crops on his land. With his increasing capitol he eventually bought The Great House.The Good Earth is a story of a poor peasant during a time of change in ancient China, and how he moved up to the top of his society. This story accurately conveys the Chinese culture and way of life during the Song and Tang Dynasties. The rise of the Gentry class and the fall of the aristocratic nobles, was truly and truthfully depicted. This was both a time of joy as well as suffering for the Chinese people that is portrayed in The Good Earth....
