“Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress”, a novel by Dai Sijie, follows the lives of two young men, being reeducated, as they immerse themselves in their country’s forbidden culture and go against the rule of Chairman Mao. With books, Lou has the power to educate his lover, the Little Seamstress, about the outside world. While they may love each other, there are ulterior motives behind both of their actions. The idea that there is no such thing as “selfless love” is unrealistic, all loving gestures contain a semblance of self-interest and this is prevalent in the novel, as the relationship between Lou and the Seamstress is led by their initial attraction towards each other, however, both parties exhibit selfish acts. Similarly, the narrator’s motives in his relations with the Seamstress is lead by self-interest as he pushes her towards an abortion to increase his …show more content…
While the beginning of their relationship is led by attraction, as their encounters continue the Seamstress uses Lou to gain the knowledge she lacks. With her new intellectual gains, the “lovely, unsophisticated mountain girl had vanished without a trace” (P.179), and the books Lou read to her, leads her to think about life in a different perspective. The quote emphasizes that the innocence of the Seamstress is gone and in turn she is a new woman. The key component that she has gained from Balzac and the reason for her departure is “that a woman’s beauty is a treasure beyond price” (P.184). Whether Lou intends to or not, he is the reason for her move as he provides her with Balzac. She does not care about him enough to stay, but rather she does what is best for her and leaves to experience a new society. Selfless love cannot be seen within the Seamstress as she uses Lou and when she learns all there is to know she leaves him without an