What Is The Significance Of The Little Seamstress

At the beginning of the novel the Little Seamstress is ignorant, but at the end of the novel she becomes knowledgeable. The first time that the narrator and Luo met the Little Seamstress they went to her house to have her father lengthen Luo 's trousers. Since that time, Luo seemed to begin to like her. But when the narrator asked him about it, he answers, "She 's not civilized, at least not enough for me!" (Page 27). At that time the Little Seamstress couldn’t read and write, and she wished that she could read. This point becomes interesting because his goal is to civilize her. After they become romantic, Luo focuses on teaching her things he believes will 'civilize ' her. He includes reading her Balzac, even his swimming lessons he wants her to use her arms to swim, rather than dog-paddling like the other villagers do.

While being re-educated, they were not permitted to read any books except for Chairman Mao 's "Little Red Book," but it doesn’t stop Luo to change her. This is the point where the character the Little Seamstress changes. "With these books, I shall transform the Little Seamstress. She 'll never be a simple mountain girl again," (Page 100). Luo has tried so hard to make the Little Seamstress to become more like a city girl. At the end of the story, she becomes an educated girl, she can read and write. The Little Seamstress had gained lots of knowledges from the books and