Although Peace Shall Destroy Many and The Good Earth are books focused on different overall themes, there are certain similarities that highlight the resemblance in the topic of ruralism and tradition within them. In both works, there are specific elements that represent the sense of longing and refer to traditions and resentful adaptation. It could be stated that Peace Shall Destroy Many portrays ruralism in a society that denies change through the use of the German language, and The Good Earth depicts it through longing for the land.
Peace Shall Destroy Many explores the implications of militarism and presents the concept of rural identity as a matter of high importance. Ruralism here is explored through the references to the deep connection of a person to their rural surroundings. The rural society of the story, Mennonites, used “High German … when speaking of religious matters …; a Low German dialect … in the mundane matters …; the young people spoke English … among themselves” (Wiebe 27). This tradition seems inviolable to the people, although their surroundings change. The conflict between new settlers and Mennonites is evident: “We as a Mennonite Church hold our services, whether for young or old, in German. Why was that changed?” (Wiebe 32). Essentially, German speech refers to the times when people were required to speak German solely in order to adhere to certain principles. However, times change, as well as the use of languages; Mennonites deny this fact and express intolerance towards new. This image of massive order through the German language a certain way correlates deeply with the concept of tradition and represents people’s rural nature in the story.
When it comes to The Good Earth, most of the plot is one way or another connected to the land. The importance of the land to the protagonist is highlighted to the extent of nearly presenting it as a completely different character. The protagonist’s longing for the native land emphasizes a link between a person and their deep engagement with something they had adjusted to. For example, the character imagines a fragment: “Then there were the fields to plant for winter wheat again, and when he had yoked the ox and ploughed the land the woman followed behind with her hoe and broke the clods in the furrows” (Buck 61). This reminiscent represents a valuable place in the mind of the character, connecting him with the rural past and the desire to remain within a specific area – which, in this context, represents heritage and values. Similarly, the resentment towards the new order is portrayed by making “the land” the only constant place for the protagonist. Change of location does not bring the character desired satisfaction, instead, the focus remains on the land, which importance is constantly highlighted.
If the mentioned books are compared, one might suppose that rural identity is explored more straightforwardly than in The Good Earth than Peace Shall Destroy Many. It is evident through the symbolic use of the link between the concept of tradition and the land. Essentially, land represents a big part of rural identity in general, as it stands for all valuable possessions and connections one can hold there. Peace Shall Destroy Many demonstrates not only reminiscent of the past and longing for the tradition but also furious and blinded obsession with tradition through the intolerance toward new settlers. Thus, the land in The Good Earth expresses ruralism through regret about the lost days, while Peace Shall Destroy Many’s author uses the German language to demonstrate unacceptable ruralism demanding the traditional order.
Thus, both Peace Shall Destroy Many, and The Good Earth use significant elements, such as land and language, which are closely relevant to the core concept of ruralism. This way, even though the stories within these books are different, they hold evident similarities in exploring the topic of rural identity. Moreover, within the books, these elements have symbolic meaning. Both refer to the conservation of traditions and the inability to adjust to changes, which connects again with the theme of rural identity.
Works Cited
Buck, Pearl S. The Good Earth. Simon & Schuster, 2016.
Wiebe, Rudy Henry. Peace Shall Destroy Many. McClelland and Stewart, 1962.