“How She Made Comfort for Them All”: Reflections on Caregiving in the Works of Pearl S. Buck

Abstract In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, new cracks have formed in America’s already strained systems of care—including childcare, eldercare, and care for disabled individuals—with the additional physical, emotional, and financial burden falling disproportionately on women. This moment has precipitated new works of media and literature that represent the caregiver experience with dignity, honesty, and nuance. However, we can also find accurate and poignant descriptions of caregivers in existing works of fiction and nonfiction, as exemplified by the works of Pearl S. Buck. While the Pulitzer prize–winning author has long been praised and remembered as a champion of child welfare, I will argue that her writings hold just as much relevance today for their depictions of the women providing the childcare. I will explore several portrayals of caregivers in Pearl S. Buck’s novels, including The Mother , The Good Earth , and Pavilion of Women , contextualizing them within her own experience as a mother and caregiver. In so doing, I will place caregiving at the center of Buck’s enduring literary and humanitarian legacy.