Pearl S. Buck (26 June 1892 – 6 March 1973) was an American writer. In 1938, Pearl S. Buck was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Life and Career
Pearl S. Buck was born on 26 June 1892, in Hillsboro, West Virginia, USA.
She initially received her education in China, where her parents were missionaries. Later, she returned to the United States and attended Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and then earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in 1914.
Pearl S. Buck’s career as a writer took off when she and her husband, John Lossing Buck, went to China as Presbyterian missionaries in 1914.
Her experiences in China, coupled with her deep understanding of Chinese culture and society, influenced her writing significantly.
She authored numerous novels, short stories, and essays during her prolific career. Her most famous work is “The Good Earth,” published in 1931, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1932.
Buck’s writing often explored themes of cultural clash, family dynamics, and the struggles of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.
She was also an advocate for social and humanitarian causes, including civil rights and the rights of women and minorities.
Pearl S. Buck passed away on March 6, 1973, in Danby, Vermont, USA.
Award and Legacy
Pearl S. Buck received numerous awards and honors during her lifetime, including:
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1932 for “The Good Earth.”
Nobel Prize in Literature in 1938, becoming the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
William Dean Howells Medal for Distinguished Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1942.
Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded by President Richard Nixon in 1976 posthumously.
Pearl S. Buck’s legacy lies in her literary contributions, especially her ability to bridge the gap between cultures through her writing.
She was a prominent advocate for social justice and human rights, and her work helped raise awareness about important issues.
The Pearl S. Buck International organization was established to continue her work in advocating for humanitarian causes and intercultural understanding.