Wang Lung

Wang Lung, an ambitious farmer who sees in the land the only sure source of livelihood. At the end of his life, however, his third son has left the land to be a soldier, and his first and second sons callously plan to sell the land and go to the city as soon as Wang dies.

O-Lan

O-Lan, a slave bought by Wang’s father to marry Wang. She works hard in their small field with Wang; during the civil war, she loots in order to get money to buy more land. She dies in middle age of a stomach illness.

Nung En

Nung En, their oldest son, who, when he covets his father’s concubine, Lotus Blossom, is married to the grain merchant Liu’s daughter.

Nung Wen

Nung Wen, their second son, apprenticed to Liu.

The Fool

The Fool, their retarded daughter.

Liu

Liu, a grain merchant in the town.

The Uncle

The Uncle, who brings his wife and shiftless son to live on Wang’s farm. Secretly a lieutenant of a robber band, he also brings protection.

Lotus Blossom

Lotus Blossom, Wang Lung’s concubine, who is refused entrance into the house by O-Lan.

Ching

Ching, a neighbor hired by Wang Lung as overseer.

Pear Blossom

Pear Blossom, a pretty slave taken by Wang after the death of his wife.

Ching
Ching is a neighboring farmer to Wang Lung, known for his quiet demeanor and small stature, with a face described as “like an ape’s.” Despite being honest and decent, Ching feels guilty for joining a mob to steal from Wang Lung during a famine. He took a handful of beans only because his child was starving. To make amends, Ching later offers Wang Lung some dried red beans. During the famine, Ching’s wife passes away, and he is compelled to sell his daughter to a soldier to save her. After Wang Lung returns from the city, he assists Ching by purchasing his land and employing him to manage it. Ching becomes a devoted employee, fostering mutual respect between them. Wang Lung mourns Ching’s death more deeply than he did for his own father.

Cuckoo
Cuckoo is a sharp-tongued, clever woman who spends much of her life as a slave in the House of Hwang. After the old mistress dies and bandits ransack the house, she becomes the Old Master’s mistress and oversees his affairs. She also facilitates Wang Lung’s meeting with Lotus. When Lotus moves into Wang Lung’s home, Cuckoo accompanies her as a servant. This causes tension, as O-lan dislikes Cuckoo and refuses to speak to her. Over time, Cuckoo and Lotus develop a more balanced relationship and become friends. Cuckoo is adept at managing Lotus’s interests.

Old Master Hwang
Old Master Hwang is the head of the Hwang family, who allows their fortunes to dwindle into poverty and ruin. He continues to take new concubines annually, even when he cannot afford them, and seems to have little influence over his sons.

Old Mistress Hwang
Old Mistress Hwang is the matriarch of the Hwang family. When Wang Lung visits to retrieve his bride, she comes across as stern and arrogant. She struggles with an opium addiction. As the family’s wealth declines, she sells off much of their land. She dies of shock when bandits raid the house, tying her to a chair and gagging her.

Liu
Liu is a prosperous, kind-hearted grain merchant who conducts business with Wang Lung. Their families become connected through marriage arrangements. Liu’s daughter marries Wang Lung’s eldest son, and Wang Lung’s second daughter is betrothed to Liu’s second son. Additionally, Wang Lung’s second son is apprenticed to Liu.

Lotus
Lotus is a courtesan who entertains patrons on the upper floor of the tea shop that Wang Lung often visits. She is slender and captivating, with delicate hands and feet. Upon their first encounter, Wang Lung is enchanted by her charm and becomes infatuated with her. He fulfills her every request and showers her with lavish gifts. Eventually, Wang Lung relocates Lotus to his home to keep her exclusively for himself, even constructing new rooms for her. Wang Lung's uncle's wife remarks that Lotus "reeks of perfume and paint" and is not as youthful as she appears, but Wang Lung is indifferent to these observations. Lotus spends her days idly on her bed, snacking and being pampered by Cuckoo. In the evenings, she adorns herself in elegant attire. To Wang Lung, "there was nothing so wonderful for beauty in the world as her pointed little feet and her curling helpless hands." However, Lotus can be ill-tempered, particularly with Wang Lung's children, and over time, Wang Lung's affection for her diminishes.

O-lan
O-lan is Wang Lung's wife. Prior to their marriage, she spent a decade as a slave at the House of Hwang. O-lan is a plain, quiet woman who accepts her circumstances without complaint. She proves to be a suitable wife for Wang Lung, as she is an efficient housekeeper, an excellent cook, and a diligent worker in the fields. She also possesses a great deal of common sense. When Wang Lung grumbles about having his uncle's family living with them, she advises that they must simply make the best of the situation. However, Wang Lung does not love her. He treats her harshly, especially when he takes the jewels she treasures to purchase land. As Wang Lung gains wealth, he becomes dissatisfied with O-lan's appearance, viewing her as "a dull and common creature, who plodded in silence without thought of how she appeared to others." He begins to criticize her, and she endures his reproaches silently, aware of his lack of affection. After Wang Lung takes Lotus as a mistress, he stops sharing a bed with O-lan. O-lan passes away after a prolonged illness on the night of her eldest son's wedding feast.

Pear Blossom
Pear Blossom is a young slave whom Wang Lung bought during a famine when she was malnourished. She is petite and delicate, assisting Cuckoo and Lotus. Despite the significant age difference, with Wang Lung being old enough to be her grandfather, he eventually takes Pear Blossom as his mistress.

Son of Wang Lung’s Uncle
Wang Lung's uncle's son is a troublesome young man who brings nothing but chaos from the start. As his father's only son, he fails to contribute to the family's well-being. He negatively influences Wang Lung’s eldest son, who is younger, by taking him to town to visit prostitutes. Eventually, the two young men clash, revealing another flaw of Wang Lung's uncle's son: he is a womanizer with an eye on Wang Lung's son's wife. He later leaves to join the military, although he has no real intention of fighting. Years later, he returns as part of a group of soldiers that occupy Wang Lung’s town, residing in the inner courts of the former House of Hwang. His presence is met with fear and hatred, prompting Wang Lung to offer him the slave Pear Blossom to satisfy his desires and protect the other women.

Wang Lung
At the beginning of the story, Wang Lung is a young farmer struggling to make a living from his modest plot of land. He is diligent and devoted, caring for his elderly father. Due to his poverty, Wang Lung can only afford to take a former slave as his wife. When he visits the grand House of Hwang to claim his bride, he is filled with fear. As a simple man from the countryside, he is unfamiliar with city life and is alarmed by the high cost of everything.

After marrying, Wang Lung's fortunes begin to improve. He fathers two sons, enjoys bountiful harvests, saves money, and buys additional land. The only hardships he faces are beyond his control. When a drought causes famine, he relocates his family to a large city in the south to survive. However, Wang Lung remains a countryman at heart, unable to adapt to city life. He longs for his land, as working it brings him peace and satisfaction; being away from it causes him distress.

Wang Lung is a man of integrity, yet he succumbs to temptation when he takes silver from a terrified man amidst the chaos of a mob storming a wealthy home in the city. This money allows him to return to his land, where he thrives again and earns the respect of his fellow villagers, becoming a figure of significance. However, as his wealth grows, he forgets the principles that led to his success. He stops working the land, becomes idle at times, and believes his modest wife is unworthy of a man of his stature. His former humility gives way to pride, as people whisper about him in the tea shop, identifying him as a wealthy landowner. He starts frequenting another tea shop he once looked down upon because it featured gambling and "evil women." Eventually, he becomes infatuated with one of these "evil women," the courtesan Lotus, and temporarily loses his way, showering her with gifts and becoming preoccupied with his appearance. He ultimately breaks free from this infatuation by returning to work on the land. Despite this, his life is not entirely tranquil, as he spends much time worrying about his sons and other family issues. In his later years, he leaves his town house to live in the old earthen house on his land.

Wang Lung’s father
Wang Lung’s father is an elderly man who resides with his son. Wang Lung ensures his father has enough to eat, even during the famine. The old man remains cheerful and claims to have seen worse times. He travels south with the family but refuses to join O-lan and the boys in begging on the streets, trusting that he will somehow be provided with enough food.

Wang Lung’s first daughter
Wang Lung’s first daughter is mentally impaired, possibly due to inadequate food during her infancy. She never learns to speak and spends her time with a sweet, vacant smile. Wang Lung cares for her tenderly, referring to her as “my poor little fool.”

Wang Lung’s First Son
At the age of twelve, Wang Lung's first son is enrolled in school to assist his illiterate father with transactions at the grain market. Demonstrating academic prowess, he later continues his studies at a renowned institution in the south when he is nearly eighteen. He returns home upon his mother's passing and marries a girl from an affluent family. As a young adult, he differs greatly from his father at the same age. Raised in prosperity rather than poverty, he lacks his father's passion for the land. He spends extravagantly to refurbish the former House of Hwang, believing his family should live in a manner befitting their wealth.

Wang Lung’s Second Daughter
Wang Lung's second daughter, the twin of his third son, is a beautiful child. Wang Lung and O-lan choose to bind her feet to increase her prospects of finding a husband. She is later promised in marriage to Liu's son. At thirteen, to avoid the unwanted advances of Wang Lung’s uncle's son, she is sent to live with Liu.

Wang Lung’s Second Son
Apprenticed to Liu, the grain merchant, Wang Lung's second son becomes a diligent and cautious businessman. Wang Lung entrusts him with the financial oversight of his land. However, the son proves to be excessively frugal. He provides the absolute minimum to the slaves and servants, prompting Cuckoo to mock him. He complains to Wang Lung about the extravagant expenses incurred in restoring the former House of Hwang, fearing it will deplete his inheritance, and even gripes about the high costs of his own wedding.

Wang Lung’s Third Son
Wang Lung’s third son is a reserved boy, and Wang Lung is largely unaware of his interests. Although Wang Lung intends for him to become a farmer, the boy expresses a desire to learn to read. Wang Lung considers this unnecessary for a future farmer but agrees to his son's wish by hiring a tutor. After a group of disorderly soldiers arrives in the village, the boy becomes captivated by their tales and declares his desire to become a soldier. He is fond of Pear Blossom and eventually leaves home after his father claims Pear Blossom for himself.

Wang Lung’s Uncle
Wang Lung’s uncle is a lazy and irresponsible man who neglects his land and family. Instead, he manipulates Wang Lung into giving him money. As Wang Lung's wealth grows, the uncle demands to move into his nephew’s home with his wife and son. Once settled, they become a burden and contribute nothing to the household. The uncle exploits Wang Lung’s reluctance to be harsh with family and secures his place by revealing his affiliation with the Redbeards, a group of thieves, claiming his presence protects the house from being robbed. Wang Lung resolves the issue by getting his uncle addicted to opium, which keeps him occupied and out of trouble.

Wife of Wang Lung’s First Son
The wife of Wang Lung’s first son is Liu’s daughter. She cares for O-lan during her illness and marries Wang Lung’s son at sixteen. Both O-lan and Wang Lung hold her in high regard. However, she is not well-liked by Wang Lung’s second son and his wife. The two women despise each other, and the second son complains to Wang Lung that his brother’s wife frequently talks about the luxury of her father’s home and encourages her husband to spend excessively on unnecessary items.

Wife of Wang Lung’s Second Son
The wife of Wang Lung’s second son hails from a reputable family in a nearby village. She is often in conflict with the wife of Wang Lung’s eldest son, who considers her to be poorly mannered.

Wife of Wang Lung’s Uncle
The wife of Wang Lung’s uncle is a self-pitying and lazy woman who neglects to clean her home. She has seven children, six being daughters. After Wang Lung becomes prosperous, she moves into his house with her husband and son. She takes advantage of Wang Lung’s hospitality, indulging in the fine foods Cuckoo brings for Lotus and complaining frequently. Like her husband, she eventually becomes addicted to opium, which makes her passive and easier to manage.