Embodied Oppression and Psychological Trauma: The Subjugation of O-lan’s in Pearl Buck’s Novel the Good Earth

Abstract

The present paper is qualitative; it illustrates the sense of oppression, negligence, and marginalization; Chinese women suffer from in their society. There, women are bound to doing housework and rearing children; they are a mere tool to meet their husbands’ pleasures and find concubines when needed. Accordingly, the study examines the sources , and types of psychological trauma experienced by the character O-lan, and later by the oppressors, her husband and his new wife, Wang Lung , in Buck’s novel The Good Earth. To meet the objective of the study, Robinson, Smith, & Segal’s (2020) types of trauma will be adopted in the analysis. Such a study help know more about the traditions and values of Chinese society, the role of women there. It further reflects the negative societal consequence s of abusing and humiliating women, and the curse men will gain due to their unjust treatment of their wives. The psychological trauma of O-lan is highly indicated by her husband’s speech and behavior. He constantly belittles her role a wife, neglecting her emotions. She keeps her agony and depression till she collapsed.