Balzac And The Chinese Seamstress Essay examples - 988 Words

Balzac and The Little Chinese Seamstress What is the ironic result in his success in making the Little Seamstress more Sophisticated? What does this suggest about attempting to change others to ones beliefs or desires? Communism came to power in China in the year 1949 and was dictated by Mao Zedong, who later ordered for all educated men and women of China to be reeducated in the countryside. Lou and the narrator were just two of many thousands to be sent off to be reeducated. Lou and the narrator then meet the Little Chinese Seamstress, and Lou, as well as the narrator to an extend fall in love with her. The result of Lous actions to re-educate the Little Seamstress to be more sophisticated and cultured, may be viewed by many as†¦show more content†¦But reading her the stories he would make her more refined, more cultured Lou shows little respect for the Little Seamstress thoughts, as he seems to be doing this for himself with little consideration to possible results. However after listening to the stories the Little Seamstress wishes for something to give her simple existence more meaning. As she suggested to the boys to steal the suitcase from Four Eyes so that they would be able to read them to her. She states how Balzacs words made her fell good, and more intelligent. This may give the reader the impression that maybe that be it was not just Lou that planned to make changes in her life, but it was her. She was the one that wanted to explore the world and find out more about who she really is. Throughout the novel Lou goes against some of the Communists laws, and there are a number of reminders that there is no escaping its grasp, and it will always be a part of their lives while being re-educated. These reminders are symbolized through a number of different objects like; the alarm clock, the buffalos tail, and the red beaked ravens. The alarm clock allows Lou and the narrator the power to manipulate time as they like. So they no longer have to abide by the demanding village schedule. This involved carrying buckets of waste up the mountain from dawn to dusk. The alarm clock allowed them to be free from the early morning wake up call from the village headman. The narrator realizes thisShow MoreRelatedBalzac and the Chinese Seamstress1003 Words   |  5 PagesBalzac and The Little Chinese Seamstress What is the ironic result in his success in making the Little Seamstress more Sophisticated? What does this suggest about attempting to change others to ones beliefs or desires? Communism came to power in China in the year 1949 and was dictated by Mao Zedong, who later ordered for all educated men and women of China to be reeducated in the countryside. Lou and the narrator were just two of many thousands to be sent off to be reeducated. Lou and theRead MoreBalzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress764 Words   |  4 PagesCourtney Dunn Mrs. Besnard World Literature 02 November 2015 Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress In 1971 the Chinese Cultural Revolution has begun to take off. In this story the protagonist, an unnamed a fine musician, and his storytelling best friend luo, are sent away from Chengdu to a secluded mountain village to be re-educated. After arriving to the Phoenix of the Sky, the Headman of the village wants to burn the protagonist’s violin. Luckily, Luo saves the violin by encouraging the musicianRead MoreBalzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress2226 Words   |  9 PagesKhalil Mack 16 July 2014 Summer Reading Assignment Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Setting the Stage Genre: After reading the novel, I realized that the genres of the book are historical and it is an autobiography. Author: The author of the novel, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is Dai Sijie. Dai Sijie was born in Putian, China in 1954. He spent most of his childhood working in his father’s shop. At age 30, Dai received a scholarship to study Western art and cinema in France.Read MoreAnalysis Of Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress845 Words   |  4 Pagesbut too often, we tend to define each other by one specific quality. Dai Sijie’s 2001 publication Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress demonstrates this in the form of two young men and how they consider their female companion. The Narrator and his friend Luo are being reeducated in a village in Communist China. Along the way, they both become captivated by the tailor’s daughter, the Seamstress. However, they only see her for her physical beauty, and for her potential to become â€Å"civilized†. ByRead MoreAnalysis Of Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress710 Words   |  3 PagesBalzac and The Little Chinese Seamstress In the novel Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress written by Dai Sijie, the interaction between Luo, the Narrator, and the headman reveals the purpose of re-education and its cultural values that shaped Chinese culture and shows the impact that it left on characters such as Luo and The Narrator. Not only does the Chinese government encourage re-education, but through this, it discourages individuality and showing your intellectual abilities. Read MoreCharacterization In Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress1788 Words   |  8 Pageshardly recognize the main character who transformed so much from the starting character. In Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Dai’s characters exhibit considerable character development due to the banned books they acquire. The author depicts his thoughts on the way books affect peoples lives through the in depth perspective of the narrator, his best friend Luo, and the Little Chinese Seamstress. The characters are illustrated in the time of cultural revolution where there is great censorshipRead MoreSummary Of Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress995 Words   |  4 Pages Whether it be the re-education or just coming of age, the Narrator in Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie develops monumentally. In this passage, The Narrator was caught retelling the tailor a story he had read. However, the headman put forth a proposition. If Luo (the Narrator’s friend) can fix his tooth, he will not report the Narrator to the Security Office. The headman is both respected and feared yet in reality, he is quite vulnerable. This is proven during his tooth procedureRead MoreTheme Of Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress747 Words   |  3 Pages Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Love can immensely impact a person so much, entirely changing their character. In Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie, the theme of love blossoms throughout the story. In the novel, two teenage boys are sent to be re-educated during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Lou, an exceptional storyteller and the unnamed narrator, a talented musician, meet â€Å"the region’s reigning beauty†: the Little Seamstress. Both fall in love with the illiterateRead More The Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Essay1249 Words   |  5 PagesBalzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is a marvelous novel, written by Dai Sijie, which himself was re-educated between 1971 and 1974 during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. In Dai Sijie’s Balzac and the Little Seamstress three separate accounts are given of an incident in which Luo and the Little Seamstress make love in an isolated mountain pool. Two of these perspectives are given by the participants while the third is provided by the old miller who observes their love making from a distanceRead MoreThemes Of Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress1197 Words   |  5 PagesBalzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, by Die Sijie contains many prominent themes, such as the effect and influence of literature on the characters, friendship and loyalty, coming of age, and the power of knowledge. However, one significant, underlying theme appearing throughout the novel is feminism. Feminism is defined as the acnowledgement that women and men are equal socially as well as in intellegence, and that both deserve to have equal rights to freedom and be treated as such in society