The Little Chinese Seamstress Summary

The Little Chinese Seamstress Sigie explores how humans interact with one another based on background. In The Little Chinese Seamstress, he directs his attention towards relationships between modern and old, rural and urban lifestyles, as well as government rule and the peoples reaction. During Mao Zedong 's rule re-education was a primary source of levying control over society by casting the youth of learned families out into the countryside. It was there that they were forced to work and be separated from any higher education so they may learn what true labor was. This created a clash in society causing rifts in cultural values and social norms. Upon arrival in the mountain top village, Ma and Luo were both judged based upon their

This caused China to suffer culturally and economically on a global scale. However the people did not always follow the laws of the government. Moas government was against drugs such as opium however when the officials were not around, villagers could be seen taking to their old habit without a thought. Ma takes in the scene of a village of growers in the distance “After harvesting their crops they spend their time attacking anyone who happens to pass by.”(12) The way people coped with the governments laws reacted in one of two ways. In this case they continued their cultural tradition, while in others they would give in and play the game. Four Eyes as he is called, is an acquaintance of Luo and Ma who is known as a coward ,but is celebrated by the villagers for his transition in re-education. In one case Four Eyes is told by a villager that “To gain courage you must swallow it while it 's still lukewarm and frothy.”(94) Four Eyes by drinking blood of an ox goes to extremes to gain respect and it eventually pays off and is allowed to return home. However luo and ma fight the tyrannic government and never focus on becoming educated and explore their own path and do not conform to society like the opium