Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress Essay

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, written by Dai Sijie, is set in 1971 during the China’s Cultural Revolution. The book starts with two boys, unnamed narrator and his friend Luo being sent from their hometown Chengdu to a small village in Phoenix Mountain to be “re-educated”. The book continues with them skillfully living through the harsh village life with their talent of storytelling and their western knowledge gained from books. Throughout the novel Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Dai Sijie illustrates different types of literature and how it transforms the character’s life, action and their personalities in both good and bad way. This book is one unique novel about two boys and one little girl’s transformation by the magical

Four-Eyes was a son of writer and he secretly had banned western books with him. As a return to Luo and the narrator’s help, Four-Eye gave one book, “Balzac”. Immediately, Luo and the narrator read the story to the Little Seamstress. The book “Balzac” drew Little Seamstress’s attention and pulled her into the story. As the book “Balzac” was about a love story the teenagers soon was influenced by it. The book “Balzac” made Luo and the Little Seamstress notice their feeling towards each other and they started to hang out together. The book “Balzac” also made the narrator notice his feeling toward the Little Seamstress and jealous Luo dating with Little Seamstress. Not only with love, but the book “Balzac” hugely affected the Little Seamstress. When the boys was thinking up a plan to get other western literature from Four-Eyes, the Little Seamstress gives Luo and the narrator advices. She tells Luo and the narrator to steal the books. Before, Little Seamstress more of a quiet girl; however, with the influence of the book “Balzac” Little Seamstress became bold and more active. This especially shows in the last scene when Little Seamstress leaves the