Notes

• "A study of characterization, this book examines images of Chinese women in five of Pearl S. Buck’s novels. It argues that these characters are typical and individualized to different degrees and that the degree to which a character is typical or individualized is determined by the overall themes of the novel in question. Therefore, characterization is not studied in isolation. Rather, it is investigated in relation to other aspects of the novels. As a result, the reader will find that Buck’s female characters, with their different degrees of individuality and typicality, form a realistic picture of Chinese women."–BOOK JACKET