Christopher Booker is a scholar who wrote that every story falls into one of seven basic plot structures: Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, the Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, and Rebirth. Shmoop explores which of these structures fits this story like Cinderella’s slipper.
Plot Type : Tragedy
Tragedy? Doesn't this seem more like a rags-to-riches story? You'd be right… if there were a happy ending. The ending of this novel, though, is anything but happy. Plus, Wang Lung has a tragic flaw: pride. That's what makes everything fall apart.
Anticipation Stage
Wang Lung is poor and he wants to be rich, as rich as the House of Hwang.
Wang Lung is a normal farmer, doing normal things, but he has big dreams. The life of a farmer isn't enough for him, and his pride is hurt when other people look down on him. So when he goes to the House of Hwang for the first time, to pick up his new wife, and they treat him like a nobody makes a plan. One day nobody will be able to treat him like an nobody.
Dream Stage
After O-lan comes to Wang Lung-s house, everything is awesome. She knows how to do everything, even things that only rich people do. She's a hard worker, and she bares sons. Things get even better when Wang Lung buys the land of the House of Hwang. His harvests are huge, and everyone knows that he's rich now. His plan is actually working.
Frustration Stage
A famine comes and takes everything away. Wang Lung and his family have no money, no food, and they're on the brink of death. Going South saves their lives, but it seems they can never save up enough money to go back home. During this phase, our tragic hero is forced to do some kind of dark act, and for Wang Lung that act is almost selling his daughter. Instead, he steals some jewels from a man who thinks he's going to die.
Nightmare Stage
Think getting rich will fix everything? Not so much. Everything gets worse. There's constant fighting, people start hating the family, and Wang Lung's friends and family start dying. It's just out of control. No matter what Wang Lung does to fix the problems, there are just new ones waiting for him.
Destruction Stage
Normally the tragic hero is murdered or commits suicide, but Wang Lung just gets old. He moves back to where it all started and tries to finish his life in peace. You could say that instead of Wang Lung committing suicide, it is his family that does it. His sons are already planning to kill the family by selling the land. That's the destruction in this destruction stage.