Abstract
    
      Pearl S. Buck is the first American female writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize of Literature in 1938. In The Good Earth, one of her representative works, Pearl S. Buck created O-lan, a typical Chinese female image with dual character traits: obedience and rebellion. This thesis tries to analyse the characterization of O-lan from the three perspectives: O-lan’s character traits, the causes of her character traits and how Pearl’s real life experiences influence her writing in this book.

Key words: O-lan, characterization, causes

摘    要

赛珍珠是美国第一位获得诺贝尔文学奖的女性作家。在她的代表作品《大地》中，赛珍珠塑造了阿兰这样一位具有顺从和反叛双重性格特征的典型中国女性形象。本文试图从阿兰的性格特征，这种性格特征形成的原因以及赛珍珠自己的生活经历对她写作此书的影响三个角度分析对阿兰的角色刻画。

关键词：阿兰；角色刻画；原因

1.Introduction
    Pearl Sydenstricker Buck (June 26, 1892 – March 6, 1973), also known by her Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu, was an award-winning American writer who spent most of her time until 1934 in China. When she was three years old, Pearl traveled to China with her parents to be stationed first in Zhenjiang. She grew up bilingually, and was tutored in English by her mother and in classical Chinese by Mr. Kung, a Chinese teacher.
In 1917, Pearl married an agricultural economist missionary, John Lossing Buck, and they moved to Suzhou, Anhui Province, a small town on the Huai River. It is this region that she described later in The Good Earth and Sons. From 1920 to 1933, Pearl and John made their home in Nanjing, on the campus of Nanjing University, where both had teaching positions. Pearl taught English literature in Nanjing University and the Chinese National University. In 1935 the Bucks were divorced. Richard Walsh, the president of the John Day Company and her publisher, became Pearl Buck’s second husband. Walsh offered her advice and affection which, her biographer concludes, “helped make Pearl’s prodigious activity possible.” (Perdavis 46) The couple lived in Pennsylvania until his death in 1960.