Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress Themes

Improved Essays
Balzac Essay

In Dai Sijie ́s novel Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, the narrator and his friend Luo

get to read several books by many different authors. However, Dai chose to name his novel

after the French Revolution era author, Honore de Balzac. The novel takes place during the

Cultural Revolution; a mass campaign in the People's Republic of China, organized by the

leader of the Communist Party, Mao Zedong, from 1966 to 1976. It directed against senior

party officials and intellectuals whom Mao and his followers accused of betraying

revolutionary ideals. When reading the books, the characters get a different message, idea, or

feel connected to each one of them.

The first book that Luo and the narrator get to read is Ursule
…show more content…
This themes relate directly to Luo and

the narrator’s situation in the book, where everything they do is a response to what has

happened around them and their environment, while they are also always thinking about what

their place in society is and what they will do in the future. The book was also important

because it is the first book given to the boys, and the one that most shocks them because it is

their first taste of Western Literature. The story of Ursule can also be argued to be mirroring

the Little Seamstress’, since they are both girls who are in a difficult love situation, and

maybe this is why the narrator and Luo like it so much. The other good aspect of this novel

would be that it’s many different messages appeal to different audiences; while the boys are

more interested in the themes of women and their beauty, the seamstress likes the

philosophical side of the novel, making it interesting for all audiences.

After stealing Four­Eyes’ suitcase, the boys get the opportunity to read another novel called

Jean­Christophe by Romain Rolland. This book ended up being the narrator’s favorite, as
…show more content…
The difference between this book and Ursule Minuet

is that while the first book they read had an effect on both boys, the narrator decided to keep

Jean­Christophe all to himself, therefore only he got to enjoy it.

Another book which was influential to the boys was Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre

Dumas. This book’s main character Dante is very similar to the Seamstress because they both

undergo a drastic change; Dante leaves prison after getting a priest’s advice, and the

Seamstress goes through something similar after listening to the boys’ stories. The book’s

main theme is revenge, and would probably influence Luo and the Narrator to think about

spreading this idea to other victims of re­education. The Little Seamstress is largely affected

by this story too, when she and Luo act it out when they go swimming. When she narrates the

scene she says “It was a totally new experience for me. Before, I had no idea that you could

take on the role of a completely different person, actually become that person ­­ a rich lady,

for example ­­ and still be yourself. Luo told me I'd be a good actress" (145) In this

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Throughout the poem “A Story,” Li-Young Lee uses carefully selected language and punctuation, as well as a variety of line and stanza structure, to provide insight into the way that a father views the complex relationship shared by him and his son. The poem opens up with a short, two-line stanza that conveys a solemn feeling through one impactful sentence. The very placement of the word “man” towards the center of the first line establishes a focal point, or emphasis, on this one character, who is presumably the father, and sets the poem up to be a reflection of the way he feels. This man is apparently saddened that he “can’t come up with” a “new” story for his “five-year-old son,” who is introduced in the next short stanza.…

    • 687 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The short story “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver is told from the point-of-view of the narrator. Speaking in first person, the narrator describes a particular night in which he meets Robert, a blind friend of the narrator’s wife. Because the story is written in the first person, the reader is able to see what the narrator is thinking as well as speaking. Furthermore, because of the point-of-view and the brutal honesty of the narrator, the reader is given a chance to connect with the narrator and follow him through his personal transformation from the beginning of the story until the end.…

    • 1312 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    However, despite this, women are instead viewed as objects and valuable for their physical appearance in both literary pieces. For example, in lines 17-22 of the poem, Piercy states “with living creatures one must begin very early to dwarf their growth; the bound feet, the crippled brain, the hair in curlers” this shows how women are viewed based on a stereotype and their physical appearance whether that is having small feet or perfect hair. Furthermore, in lines 23-24 of the poem that states, “the hands you love to touch”, demonstrates how women in multiple cases are considered objects, much like the case in The Handmaid’s Tale where women are valued and treated as “…two-legged wombs… sacred vessels, ambulatory chalices” (chapter 23, page 136). The similarities found in both the poem and novel have agreeing views on important topics such as equal rights and power.…

    • 467 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Drown” During different stages in their lives humans tend to go through a multitude of struggles that they sometimes are able to find a resolution at the end of them. In “Drown” by Junot Diaz, the narrator is dealing with his struggle of finding his identity .The narrator shows his inner struggle of finding his identity through expressing his experience about his detachment from this mother, his issues with his father and jealousy between him and his friend. This struggle is one that is common with much of the youth in poverty stricken America today who are forced to have no kind of parental engagement within their lives.…

    • 1155 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The troubles of modern men Morales opens a discussion of “what it means to be a man” (108) and gives an essay “The Problem with Boys” by Tom Chiarella, as a view from both a father and educator. Mr. Chiarella is an established sports and fiction writer as well as a professor at DePauw University (108). Tom Chiarella addresses the basic differences of boys and girls in contrast and how this differences for boys can carry into adulthood as men. His initial comparison is with his own boys and how they’re different yet the same “One likes shooting baskets; the other likes watching anime.…

    • 1264 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A Terrible Thing Analysis

    • 573 Words
    • 3 Pages

    “A hundred times a day there is a voice in my head that screams Help me. The voice comes from a tiny woman in my chest encased in a soundproof glass column, pouding on the walls, begging for someone to notice her” (Waite 150). Each and every word is placed so delicately in the book, such as Mother Nature would place petals gently on a stem to make something magnificent, a beautiful flower. Flowers are the physical object that the reader can relate to this novel. So beautiful, so delicate but when mistreated; they wilt, crumple and brown, becoming terrible.…

    • 573 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Intro: Life repeatedly forces us to make a choice at difficult moments When at crossroads, it makes us take a leap of faith and choose a path to take The point of this paper is to connect Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, to the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. The two pieces of literature are related to each other, for they both discuss the means of choosing the right path to take when at crossroads.…

    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Exile is often associated with punishment, the result of a wrongdoing. It can consume the human spirit, creating a longing for home and comfort. However, through the hardships of isolation, a person can find themselves discovering their gumption and stride in life. This can be readily seen in Tobias Wolff’s Old School, where an unnamed narrator attends a high-class preparatory school which has an extremely competitive focus on literature. In the story, three authors, Robert Frost, Ayn Rand, and Ernest Hemingway, come to visit campus, and are available for a one-on-one meeting to the winner of a writing contest.…

    • 1640 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Senior Picture Day Theme

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages

    “Senior Picture Day” is a classic story about the biases and bullying children and teenagers encounter as they contend with peer pressure and self-esteem. Kids can be cruel as they fight to feel accepted, liked, and find their self-worth. Children and teenagers who struggle with family issues or possess certain physical features may find it more difficult to fit in with the crowd and overcome peer pressures. Society often stereotypes some ethnicities as poor, less intelligent, and less appealing. People in these ethnicities may struggle with acceptance as much as someone who is overweight or appears less attractive.…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    T. Caraghessan Boyle’s story, “Greasy Lake”, is a rite of passage story. This can be seen in the themes throughout the story. The story itself has coinciding themes in it. Right from the beginning the boys are looking for trouble.…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the play “The Crucible” written by Arthur Miller we see many themes and lessons in the story. The main theme is focussed on deceit and lying and how lies can lead down a dark road which results in the ruin of many. The Crucible is a fictional play based on the Salem Witch Trials which occurred between February 1692 and May 1693 and resulted in over 150 people being accused of witchcraft and 20 executed. The story focusses on the story of John Proctor and Abigail Williams, his niece, and how lies, jealousy, revenge, and deep seated feuds caused a community to turn on each other in a vicious circle of accusations and misunderstandings. The characters in the play who lie significantly are Abigail, John Proctor, and Mary Warren…

    • 1210 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Mao stayed in unchallenged control of China until his death in 1976. Mao had passed away and the struggle had emerged for supreme political control. Deng did not right out say that Mao ways and beliefs were totally wrong. In fact the central committee proclaimed that Mao was seventy percent correct and 30 percent wrong, which is also the position of the Chinese government today. • In 1976 the Gang of Four was arrested, primarily because Mao was not present to protect them.…

    • 760 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, conflict - both internal and external - portrays a major development in the theme and plot of the young boys in this novel. On an island composed of only pre-adolescent boys, it is unquestionable that there would be conflict amongst them. Golding blatantly shows the reader the external conflicts that occur between one another, including both physical and verbal altercations. The author also cryptically gives the reader a display of the conflict the boys struggle with within themselves and their own thoughts. Despite the many instances of external conflict, the subtle internal conflicts are much more critical to the plot and overall theme of Lord of the Flies.…

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Both Oscar Zetas Autobiography of the Brown Buffalo and Ana Castillo’s Novel So Far From God are examples of the use of magic realism and mythology in Chicano/a literature. However, both pieces of Chicano/a literature display their own unique interpretation of self-identity. Beginning with the plot of the Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo, Oscar is a lawyer at the East Oakland Legal Aid society. He drives to his office in downtown San Francisco only to discover that his secretary, who usually does most of the work for him, has died over the weekend.…

    • 1678 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The novel, The Color Purple, by Alice Walker describes a woman named Celie’s dreary life. Walker argues that in order to be truly happy, one must be self-confident, have love and support from others, and discover their purpose in life. Celie starts to become stronger and happier when she makes a point to be bold and confident. Shug’s love and compassion allows Celie to never doubt herself and make the most of her life. When Celie discovers an occupation that she loves and has a talent for, she feels that she has a true purpose in life and is ecstatic.…

    • 789 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays