Themes:

The Transformative Power of Literature

(Effects on the Seamstress)

“The Little Seamstress had a chest that had been part of her motherʼs dowry, and in the bottom of one
of the drawers Luo found a few rusty nails” – The Little Seamstress provided the rusty nails in which Luo
and Ma turned into a key to open the door in Four Eyesʼ home; again shows her involvement in the whole act of
burglary because of her desire for the books. P91

(p143) The Seamstressesʼ Story

“The books Luo read to me always made me want to dive into the cool water of the mountain torrent.”
P143 – This shows us that the books liberate the Little Seamstress and reveals her thoughts. From this, we
understand that her improvement in swimming and diving is also due to the books and their transformative
powers.

“…She pretends not to recognize him, and she does so with such conviction that youʼd swear she had
truly forgotten her past. Oh, it was heart – breaking!” – The Seamstress is attracted to this transformation
and the concept that she can control a manʼs destiny. This foreshadows the ending as she does this at the end.

“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 – rich lady, for example – and still be your
own self. Luo told me Iʼd make a good actress.” – This shows the booksʼ effect on the Little Seamstress as
they make her understand that she can take on other roles in life, not simply be a mountain girl. She
understands, because of the books, that she is able to transform herself by acting. This is important to show
what she thinks and foreshadows the ending, because she leaves to the city in the end to pursue a life similar to
those in the book. This ultimately captures the theme of the transformative power of literature. Her acting
abilities are reinforced when Luo “told me [her] Iʼd make a good actress.” This mightʼve contributed to her
leaving at the end as this gave her more confidence and encouragement that she has the ability to ʻtransformʼ
into different people.

(P178) Dresses up

“ She had been inspired by something in Madame Bolvary, he said, whereupon I commented that it
would be the first item of lingerie on Phoenix Mountain…” We can see that the Little Seamstress is
undergoing a physical change because of her mental transformation due to the books. Luo describes it as a
“obsession” and this is demonstrated by the lengths she will go to to change her personal image, such as
making “herself a brasserie” and adopting “our [boysʼ] accent”. This new image reflects the Seamstressʼs new
knowledge that one can take on many roles. She also changes her wardrobe, changing a jacket to one that
“would only be worn by a woman in the city” and buying new, “chalk white” tennis shoes that “would not last
more than three days on the perpetually muddy paths of the mountain”. The Little Seamstress is not only
affected by the stories and characters, sheʼs also been impacted by their clothing, this reinforces that she has
been transformed both mentally and physically by the books.

“Luo was delighted with her transformation, although he was surprised as I was.” The boys, although
they have contributed to her transformation and want this transformation, as shown when Luo states, “with
these books I will transform the Little Chinese Seamstress” However, they are surprised by her rapid change in
both personality and the physical aspects. Her image has changed into a “unfamiliarly stylish and sensual”
beauty, in direct contrast to the beginning of the novel.

(P184) Final Line

Luo – “ She said she had learnt one thing from Balzac: that a womanʼs beauty is a treasure beyond
price.” - Her character development has an “ultimate pay-off”, however, as she leaves for the city to “try her
chances” and use her new power to her advantage. This show the final and strong impact of the books because
the Little Seamstress brings up ʻBalzacʼ even during her last conversation with Luo, emphasizing Balzacʼs
significance to her.
In the finale:

We can see that the Seamstress has a “revelation of freedom, of self-consciousness”, as explained by Dai
Sijie in an interview. He says that she “learned that men could flirt with women, that it is natural… This is
what she had never learned during her days of being indoctrinated” and, as depicted in the end in the end
of the novel, that she can use new knowledge to her advantage. Her change from a ”lovely, unsophisticated
mountain girl” to a “becoming and modern looking” woman is clearly because of the books and their
transformative power.

( Effects on Narrator and Luo)

The first piece of literature that has a profound influence on the boys is ‘Ursule Mirouёt’ by Balzac. The book
acts as an introduction to the world that they have been kept away from, the world which does not conform to
the communist regime. The boys “were seduced, overwhelmed, spellbound by the mystery of the outside world,
especially the world of women, love, sex as revealed to us by these Western writers day after day, page after
page, book after book”. An opportunity has also risen for Luo to educate the Little Chinese Seamstress, who he
believes to be worth less than him because of her lack of education and knowledge of the western world. He
believes that by reading the book to the Seamstress, it “would have made her more refined, more cultured, I’m
quite sure”.
The propaganda books that are given to Luo and the narrator during their time at school in the city have little or
no effect on them. The boys know that the books aim to manipulate them, and are merely reiterations of the
world in which they are living in - controlled and obsolete. The boys have “heard nothing but revolutionary
blather about patriotism, Communism, ideology and propaganda all his life, falling headlong into a story of
awakening desire, passion, impulsive action, love, of all the objects that had, until then, been hidden from me”.
‘Jean-Christophe’ by Romain Rolland is the book which has the greatest effect on the narrator. He was
“naturally drawn to the book” because “the story was about a musician and I myself played pieces on the violin
such as Mozart is Thinking of Chairman Mao”. ‘Jean-Christophe’ teaches the narrator of the importance of
independence, free-will and the actions of an individual - “Without him (Jean-Christophe) I would never have
understood the splendour of taking free and independent action as an individual”. The book allows the narrator
to “grasp the notion of one man standing up against the whole world”. We can see the importance of the novel
to him when he says: “once you had read it, neither your own life nor the world you lived in would ever look the
same”. He is unwilling to “die now, without having known love or sex, without having taken free individual action
against the whole world”. The book fills the narrator “with the desire to live”, and his consequent actions all stem
from the individualist ideas he learns from the character of Jean-Christophe.
The Western literature that they are exposed to deters them from all things Communist because Communist
ideology is against the views of the Western society. They “would most certainly have opted for the story of a
Chinese, or North Korean film, or even an Albanian one, had I not tasted the forbidden fruit of Four-Eyes’
suitcase”. Propaganda films were the closest thing to culture for the boys until the appearance of the books, but
because the ideas of the two are so contradicting, they decide to follow the ideals of the books as they present
to them a different, more intriguing lifestyle. They now have a firm belief that the Cultural Revolution is “so far
removed from human desires and true emotions” because the “stark proletarian realism of those stories” takes
over the minds of the boys and show them “the sum of my cultural education until a short while ago”. The
literature, to them, gives them an obligation to pursue Western ideology and to bring themselves closer to the
Western mindset.
Through the books, the narrator submerges himself in Western culture, perhaps in “an attempt to forget the
pain” of the controlled and manipulated world they are in. The booksact as a blueprint for the boys to behave,
particularly with the Seamstress. The narrator uses this opportunity to try to realise the fantasy of winning the
Seamstress’ affection from Luo by adapting to the “sense of courtesy and respect for womenhood that I learned
from Balzac”. He relieves the Little Chinese Seamstress of “her laundering duties” as a pathetic attempt to
make her feel indebted to him, and thus obliged to show him more affection.
Unlike the two boys, Four-Eyes is much less influenced by the Western literature of the books. Compliance to
the Communist regime gives him an advantage - Four-Eyes will change allegiance according to the benefits
that they offer him. By being affected by the Western culture present in the books, Four-Eyes would be, in
effect, disobeying the regime and thus risking his place as the obedient city boy who is accepting of re-
education and the benefits that are related to this.

Quotes used above:

P57 “I could have read it out, page by page, to the Little Seamstress. That would have made her more refined,
more cultured, I’m quite sure.”

P58 “He touched the head of this mountain girl with an invisible finger, and she was transformed, carried away
in a dream.”
P101 “ We were seduced, overwhelmed, spellbound by the mystery of the outside world, especially the world of
women, love and sex as revealed to us by these Western writers day after day, page after page, book after
book.”
P102 “ Let me tell you about Romain Rolland. Among the books in Four-Eye’s suitcase there was only one by
him: volume one of his four-volume masterpiece, Jean-Christophe. The Chinese translation was by Fu Lei, who
also did the Balzac translations. As the story was about a musician and I myself played pieces on the violin
such as Mozart is Thinking of Chairman Mao, I was naturally drawn to the book.”
P102 “ Without him (Jean-Christophe) I would never have understood the splendour of taking free and
independent action as an individual. Up until this stolen encounter with brains had been incapable of grasping
the notion of one man standing up against the whole world...................To me it was the ultimate book: once you
had read it, neither your own life nor the world you lived in would ever look the same.”
P106 “After all, how could I die now, without having known love or sex, without having taken free individual
action against the whole world, as he had?”
P106 “I was filled with the desire to live.”
P114 “ I would most certainly have opted for the story of a Chinese or North Korean film, or even an Albania
one, had I not tasted the forbidden fruit of Four-Eye’s secret suitcase. As it was, the stark proletarian realism of
those stories, which had represented the sum total of my cultural education until a short while ago, struck me as
being so far removed from human desires and true emotions, in short from real life, that there seemed little
point in bothering with them at this late hour. Suddenly the novel I had just finished reading flashed across my
mind. I was confident that Luo has not yet read it : He was still completely wrapped up in Balzac.”
P53 “Picture, if you will, a boy of nineteen, still slumbering in the limbo of adolescence, having heard nothing but
revolutionary blather about patriotism, Communism, ideology and propaganda all his life, falling headlong into a
story of awakening desire, passion, impulsive action, love, of all the subjects that had, until then, been hidden
from me.”
P141 “....A sense of courtesy and respect for womanhood that I had learned from Balzac, to relieve the little
seamstress of her laundering duties, and whenever she was up to her eyes in work I would brave the cold of
approaching winter and go down to the stream to wash clothes.”
P145 “In an attempt to forget the pain in my left ear, I settled down to reread my favourite novel, Jean-
Christophe.”

Love and Friendship

1.) Friendship - Luo and Ma
Mozart is thinking of Chairman Mao incident - Luo saves the Narrator from humiliation with his witty
comments, and senses when Ma is in need. This shows how in tune he is with Ma's moods - and they
constantly rely on each other for support.
Clock Incident, "They slid the hands of the clock back one hour", "temper our resentment against the peasants
in charge of our re-education", "seizes the imagination of peasants" - Humour is an important element to
break from the dreariness of their situation. They also share mutual beliefs, and make the best out of
the situation through indulgence in simple pleasures. From the onset, they display qualities that
separate them from others: their detestation of the cultural revolution, and their refusal to become
brainwashed by the ideologists. They make memories and attempt to enjoy themselves - mocking the
regime together.

A lot of pleasures they undertake involve fantasies and dreams - in rebelling against the oppressive
regime, and affecte, corrupt or false natures of the people they are with. A perpetual fear penetrates
their thoughts - but they bring themselves through such darkness through joys and mental stimulation.
They refuse to accept the principles established by the revolution.

Bad weather. 'I feel depressed' he said. 'Why don't you play me something on your violin?' I did as he said. This
is a clear indication of how Ma is unquestionably willing to exert himself in trying to alleviate his
friend's mood. Ma is also much mentally and physically capable than Luo - who is unusually sensitive,
with an uncanny knack for narrative.

The opposing dispositions of Luo and Ma - They understand their roles in the relationship, and they make
an excellent partnership. They both have unique skills they bring to the friendship - aiding each other.
For example, Luo's fear of the crossing the mountain.

Coal mine; Luo's ill; Ma holds the whip. "Before complying with his wish I thought I would retrieve the fallen
cigarette and let him have a good smoke first." Ma debates whether he should hit his friend - as he does
not want to inflict him with pain. This alludes to the powerful nature of their friendship - Ma doesn't
readily whip his friend. Also, Luo cries - whereas the Narrator is stronger mentally. This shows the
balance of their friendship, and how they make up for each other's weaknesses.
"Beloved commander", Luo is the alpha in their friendship, "
How great Luo's talent was!" The Narrator is unselfish and admiring, although he and Luo compete in an
undercurrent one-up man ship in their desire for the Seamstress, the narrator identifies Luo's talents,
genuinely looks up to him, and in ways, aspires to be like him: suave and cunning. There is no enmity
between them - it is a genuine friendship, based on genuine love and understanding.

"I could not help admiring my friend Luo's foresight in appointing me as her guardian." There is trust and
belief between them - Ma's secret lust for the seamstress is evident through his poignant descriptions
of her "shining eyes", feet, and how her beauty exceeds that of thousands of other girls. There is a
sense of dramatic irony here - the reader is fully aware of his desires. However, despite these emotions,
he nobly steps back to allows his friend to court her. The narrator buries these feelings and selflessly
makes things easy for his friend, Luo.

The love they both had for her highlights their similarities and naivety.

SUMMARY:
Luo and Ma have a similar and solid values which they stick to - irrespective of the fact that if they
behaved less audaciously, they would have it easier. They are both bitter about the humiliation their
parents endured - instilling a hatred of the revolutionary propaganda. In spite of this suppression, they
make life easier for themselves through their imagination, small pleasures (going to movies,
storytelling) and they rely on each other for support. They get along effortlessly and Ma's steady and
strong disposition fuses well with Luo's more sensitive and emotional side. Luo entrusts Ma with the
role of protecting the Seamstress - knowing fully well that Ma's loyalty lies with him. They've shared
tough experiences through the communist regime, and 'very rarely quarreled'. They are able to share an
intellectual and amusing rapport.

2.) Romance - Luo and The Little Chinese Seamstress

First meeting: The Chinese Seamstresses' beauty grasps Luo, instant flirtation:
"She's not civilized enough for me" Seamstress charms him. He is imbued with a vision of her naivety,
uncivilizedness - an unwise preconception. The Seamstress, as the book reveals, is far more
sophisticated, quick to learn, and ambitious than Luo suspects. He fantasizes about her as a simple
mountain girl, and feels a need to educate her, transform her, which ironically leads to her final
departure.

"He played with her pigtail", "Bent over in the dark and kissed him" - Innocence and untainted nature of
young, pure love. Even before the books, there was magnetism between her and Luo.
She leaves him because she views herself as somebody who has potential to do bigger and better
things in life than stay home as a domestic, mountain girl. It is interesting to see how she perceives the
book, in a slightly different manner from the boys. She views the text seriously and analytically,
discovering and relating to it, and understanding her own, smart character more and more. Meanwhile,
she keeps up an innocent guise in front of the boys - and attempts to leave without enlightening them of
her intentions.Despite this, she does love Luo - but she doesn't think he will understand.

The Little Seamstresses' Story

Gingko tree; symbolizes longevity, a unity of opposites, a symbol of resilient, adaptable love. Adds
grandeur.

Copulating in the water Experimenting with sexuality in the relationship.

Monte Cristo roleplay The Seamstress is intrigued with the concept of acting, and of being a woman in
control of a man's destiny, to make an impression. It foreshadows her leaving him at the closing of the
story. She realizes she can be an actress - and play many roles, and she can transform out of herself. It
foreshadows her eventual betrayal - her departure at the end - when realizing that there are bigger
things in life for her than being a mountain girl.

The loss of the keys signifies a broken aspect of her and Luo. The permanence of the scar could
symbolize the literature's permanent effect on her. The snake could be the poisoning of the relationship
with the boys. She demonstrates courage when she dives down despite the presence of the snake,
again, foreshadowing the courage she summons when she departs for the city when realising her own
attributes.

In the context of her character, she learns the skill of acting from literature - (transformative power of
literature).
"Don't laugh at my handwriting... I was taught to read and write by my father." A very clear sense of herself
and independence is demonstrated. In lieu of these clues, the boys still consider her embodying the
image of [when referring to her handwriting] "feminine sweetness".

When the Little Seamstress cuts her hair and puts on a new garment and tennis shoes: "The lovely,
unsophisticated mountain girl had vanished without a trace... Luo was filled with the happiness of an artist
contemplating his finished creation... the ultimate pay-off, this feat of Balzacian re-education..." Luo views her
as a simple, sweet canvas that he has sculpted. He fails to realize that the Seamstress considered
herself as an art, and worked on perfecting herself.
"Were we too wrapped in ourselves to notice the warning signals?... had we ourselves failed to grasp the
essence of the novels we had read to her?"

Summary:
Luo and the little Seamstress share a sweet, innocent relationship - although he naively interprets her
status as a mountain girl as synonymous with uneducated - uncivilized - and unsophisticated; three
qualities which the Seamstress is certainly not. This leads to his ultimate demise - how stung he is by
her leaving him - which could have been foreseen if he had discerned her intelligence.

3.) Platonic - Ma and the Little Chinese Seamstress

Ma is appointed to be her guardian when Luo has to go. He protects her from aspiring suitors, but then
ends up washing her undergarments, and reading to her, and endures imprecations from the other
mountain boys - and through his thoughts; we realize that he wants a relationship with her. However,
despite this obvious attraction, he never acts on it. He contains his feelings by putting himself in the
role of a guard - and his urges are controlled by his strong sense of friendship, loyalty and love.
The Seamstress never reciprocates these hidden feelings - she does hint flirtatiously, flaunting her
feminine, smart, 'Balzac', side, but not more than that.

"It's so much better when it's you telling the story", and "Say hello to your friend, the fiddler" (although the
letter is addressed to Luo - Ma is always 'second' to Luo.)

She perceives him somebody to trust and as a close friend - but not get involved romantically with.
When confirming herself to be pregnant, she confesses to him: "I'm in trouble". And he proves himself to
be extremely dependable.

Whereas Ma, on the other hand:

"She was my soul-mate."
"Ready to spend the rest of my life taking care of her."
"I would have married her myself, had the law permitted it." The relationship he holds with her is retained on
a fantasy level.
At the end, when she leaves, and he is chasing after her: "... one of the bad dreams that had been troubling me
lately, with the Liittle Seamstress losing her footing... The ominous cries of the red-beaked raven circling
invisibly overhead rang in my ears..." - a great sense of paranoia and fear for her. He genuinely worries. In
a time where information is so exclusive, the supernatural was considered a reliable source, giving
reason for anxiety.
"Was it my affection for his girlfriend?" and "I was angry at the Little Seamstress.... I felt just as betrayed as
Luo."

The fact that she did not approach him angers him - why does he feel so betrayed?
She never said goodbye to him - despite him saving her life (through abortion) - leaving him
heartbroken.
He never admitted he loved her.

Summary:
The narrator hides his love for the Seamstress out of sheer loyalty to his friend, and instead, positions
himself as a guardian and protector. This doesn't prevent his inner fantasies - which are not hidden
from the reader. The Seamstress likes him, but not in that way. Ma seeks acknowledgement from the
Seamstress.

4.) Family -Luo and Ma and their parents

'We'll note down everyone who denounces my father, or beats him... we can take our revenge when we're
older." Luo's extreme devotion - he swears to take revenge on those who laughed at his father.

"We left as the crowd of fanatics resumed their mass inquisition" shows a more inhumane, animalistic or
sadistic side of people - who merely follow the crowd instead of recognizing the senselessness of their
actions.
"First we were refused admission to high school, then the role of young intellectuals was foisted on us on
account of our parents being 'enemies of the people'.... their crime was that they were 'stinking scientific
authorities'." Use of ' ' indicates a sarcastic tone, Ma's clear backing up for his parents and his stance
against communist authorities - ridiculing their criteria for incriminating people. Critiques revolution -
how can these two, young boys who have only completed an elementary standard of education be
branded as 'young intellectuals'?

Summary:
As in one of the scenes a Luo says 'We'll note down everyone who denounces my father, or beats him... we
can take our revenge when we're older." This strongly shows Luo's extreme devotion as he swears to take
revenge on those who laughed at his father. Then in another scene, the narrator says "First we were
refused admission to high school, then the role of young intellectuals was foisted on us on account of our
parents being 'enemies of the people'.... their crime was that they were 'stinking scientific authorities'. Ma's is
clearly backing up for his parents and his stance against communist authorities.

Seamstress & Tailor

Describes her father as an "overgrown child" - a certain degree of power and maturity to make such a
judgment, she isn't the subservient daughter - but imposes a sense of superior intelligence. Her beauty,
however, prevents the boys from inferring anything from her manner and speak. She is no push-over,
and emphasizes her own education and background - dismissing preconceptions.
Her father's profession as tailor has enabled the seamstress to meet numerous travelers from different
provinces - she is cultured.

Relationship with father= slightly vague, but he has an open and pleasure-seeking mindset. This is
shown when he laughs at the instrument name "Wy-o-lin!" , and listens intently and is captivated by the
boy's narration of western literature.

At her leaving; "his gaunt, ravaged face" indeed shows caring for his daughter's security.
"... her plans to change her life and try her chances in the city." - realizes his daughter's independence.
At her leaving, Old Miller said "If you leave now - don't ever come back." Harsh and clear regret.
But ultimately, the Old Miller understands where his daughter is coming from - an if aggravated by their
separation - advocates her choice and freedom to seek opportunity outside the confinements of her
rural life, of being just a 'Little Seamstress'.

Summary:
The relationship between the seamstress and the tailor is not very strong from the beginning to the end
of the novel. They are not very close as in the end she leaves leaves and shows the tailor she wants her
choice and freedom to seek an opportunity outside her rural life.

Four-Eyes & Mother

This is a skewed relationship - his mother a crafty, sophisticated woman - and Four-Eyes, a two-faced
individual who appeases to those who can benefit him.
There are a few theories behind their 'love':

1) Four-Eyes being her son, the Mother can afford to overlook his faults, foolishness, and weak, wimpy
nature. Being a mother - she loves him despite his shortcomings.
2) Mother and son are alike in deception (her bribing the Village Headman), so they complement and
feed off each other's energy.

Summary:
The relationship with Four-Eyes and his mother is one of unconditional parental commitment and her
motherly instinct drives her to corruption as she pays off people and does deals to protect her beloved
son.

5.) Literature/ Art of storytelling / Escapism / Acting / Western Lit.

The Boys, Seamstress, and The Movies/City/Books
On visiting Yong Jing - a small, rural town. "Memories of city life came flooding back... savoured of
sophistication... had electricity..." - all symbolic of the life that Luo and Ma want - more exciting, more
services, in contrast to the life of isolation and harsh, bare conditions they live in on the hardly
accessible mountain. It is reminiscent and wistful of their previous lifestyle.
"Once our eyes had been opened,"
"Picture if you will, a boy... still slumbering in the limbo of adolescence, having heard nothing but revolutionary
blather about patriotism, Communism, ideology and propaganda all his life, falling headlong into a story of
awakening desire, passion, impulsive action, love, of all the subjects that had until then, been hidden from
me."Not only does this critique the cultural revolution, this unveils a hidden, fervent passion for love
and fresh experiences that is embedded in both Luo and Ma. This profound effect on them does not
reflect in Four-Eyes. They hold a genuine, ardent love for new perspectives. They devour the books with
alacrity. The media that surrounds them doesn't infuse them with propaganda, but instead, they
question, engage themselves, and think critically.

Stealing the books Highlights their desperation to gain more of what they only glimpsed in Balzac's.
Also, it was Little Seamstresses' idea - a shrewd plan.

6.) Luo, Ma and the Old Miller

Luo and Ma tire of the lack of authenticity shown by the peasants they are assigned to for 're-
education'. Not only are they far from being re-educated, but they witness the corrupt dealings of those
who supposedly embody the Communist ideals.

For example,When the Village Headman blackmails Luo into doing a dental treatment,
When Four-Eye's mother bribes his Village Headman - they question: why have these people been
entrusted with power when they simply lack the mental capacity to use it properly? Can the communist
principles simply be crushed - or momentarily put aside - by a wad of cash? Are they really taking up
these positions of responsibility, because they believe in the ideology - or to satiate their thirst for
power and control?

In contrast, the Old Miller sticks to what he believes in. He holds the power of denouncement - but
chooses not to use it. Luo and Ma are instantly drawn to his natural aura and revel in his company -
something that never happened with Four-Eyes.

They share the same political stance - and despite his ignorance, decrepit living conditions, and slight
insanity - the boys like him nevertheless. He has been untainted by the Communist regime and
similarly, Luo and Ma are drawn to people (Tailor, Doctor) that equally see the negative sides of the re-
education scheme.

However, we must remember the book is intentionally positioning the reader to look at the Cultural
Revolution through critical lenses.

7.) Separation
"Crazed with fear I would get down on my hands and knees and crawl in the dark with my mother and father's
faces looming before my eyes."
"weeping with passionate abandon"
grief and loss due to absences.
Loss of Parents and city comforts.
Missing the Seamstress.
results in [despair].
Summary:
The separation throughout the whole book is shown in many different ways. -Luo and LCS, LCS leaving,
and the abortion.

Final Summary.
Love, indisputably, intimates characters and brings the story to level at which the reader can relate.
The theme of love in Balzac is composed of many aspects - friendship, romance, platonic, familial,
pleasure-related, strangers, and separation. Having their own, distinct attributes, these are all
interlinked to form a motif - of how the protagonists apply love in their lives, and how their concept of
such an emotion changes depending on context. How they love make up the essential core of their
characters. The readers can then connect and begin to understand the characters on an emotional
level, and perhaps some of this is attributed to the fact that the writer has based it on his own, raw,
experiences:
Cultural Revolution
Ma
Emotional Effects
Fear of death in the coal mine- “from that day on I shared his terror of not leaving the place alive”
This is caused by the communist partyʼs thought that city people can go live in a peasantʼs life style and be able
to cope with the much stricter physical demands instantly. However, this is not the case and this leads the city
youths in re-education to suffer greatly emotionally because of their inability to cope and adapt to the extreme
physical demands.

Anger towards Four eyes- “as I flailed my arms I involuntarily punched him on the jaw, which sent him reeling”
This anger for Four eyes is caused by his incredible urge to get off the mountain. This shows that re-education
had profound negative effects on the city youths which ultimately change them to the point where they are
willing to hurt and betray friends. Because of Four eyesʼ betrayal Ma feels anger towards him, however, the
source of this complication is the cultural revolution.

Love for the little seamstress- “her face possessed an impressive, sensual beauty, which aroused in us an
irresistible desire”
The re-education allowed Ma to meet the little seamstress.

Jealousy towards Luo- “I felt a stab of jealousy…”

This is linked to the love for the little seamstress however the source of all this is none other than the cultural
revolution.

Physical Effects
Labour- “what we dreaded most of all was having to carry buckets of shit on our backs”
This directly tells us their dislike for the hard labour forced upon them by the village headman who represents
the communist party.

Coal mine- “the ground will become soft, I would have difficulty breathing and would feel as if I were on the brink
of death”
Directly tells us the physical difficulties they must endure in their ordeal in the coal mine. We can see the
profound effect of the physical demands of the environment on him as he links this to death.

Mountain ordeal (page 105)- “I advanced with slow faltering steps like a tightrope walker”
This shows us the extreme difficulties which one must experience to advance across the mountain terrain. The
consequences of failing to cross the mountain path ultimately leads to death, “my left boot dislodged a stone…
some time before we heard them hitting the bottom”- great height.

Luo
The novel shows that the cultural revolution did not achieve what it set out to do as it fails to educate the city
people about peasant life. Dai Sijie critiques the cultural revolution through the terrifying working conditions and
its physical and emotional effects particularly on the character of Luo. The uncivilised surroundings and the
terrifying altitude of the Phoenix Mountain which contrasts Luoʼs upper middle class life in the city exposes his
physical weakness. He is unable to adapt from city life to peasant life as he gets depressed by the weather
conditions leading him to develop a case of insomnia. He also gets malaria because of the unsanitary
environment in the Phoenix Mountain.

At the end of the novel, Luoʼs physical weakness is further exposed as the difference between Luo and the LCS
is clearly shown: “she did not seem as tired as her friend - quite to the contrary. She was brimming with energy
and clambered along the surrounding rocks”. This shows that Luo is timid and afraid in contrast to the LCS.
Despite coping through the unsafe working conditions, Luo doesnʼt get any stronger highs he is presented as a
wimp like character at the end of the novel, which questions the effectiveness of the re-education program.

Four Eyes
Emotional Effects
Four Eyes does not deal well with re-education, and his change in mental state due to this is shown as we
progress through the book. His constant fear of being caught disobeying the communist revolution regime is
shown when Dai Sijie writes “In his presence everything seemed tinged with fear”. This fear plays a big part in
his life during his re-education, causing him to become extremely selfish. He expresses his manipulative, selfish
motives when he explains to his parents that the reason he stayed friends with Luo was “because I thought you
and Pa had problems with your teeth”.

Physical Effects
Four Eyesʼ clear absence of the physical requirements needed to work on Phoenix Mountain are conveyed a
number of times by Dai Sijie in the Balzac and his little chinese seamstress. His relationship with the buffalo is
important to the story because it shows Four Eyesʼ dependence on other people to solve his problems, in this
case getting his mother to help him escape Phoenix Mountain. Another example of his lack of independence is
the deal he makes with Luo and Ma for them to carry his rice across the mountain.

Quotes
“Although we were the only two friends Four Eyes ever made on the mountain, we were not on the
guest list.” - Never truly made friends with them, he just pretended to be to receive benefits from
them e.g. Good food.

“I stayed friends with them because I thought you and Pa had problems with your teeth, and that
one day Luoʼs father might be of assistance.” - reinforces the fact that he only does things when
he benefits from them. Extremely selfish

Village Headmen ( From Ma and Four Eyeʼs Village - different)

Emotional Effects

They gain a sense of power, gain confidence in themselves, they believe they are the best in the village, they
gain knowledge of the city from the boys, the headman of luo/ma's village believes he is the controller of time,
they take bribes for their own benefit, they act selfishly

The cultural revolution is very important to the village headmen, they are chosen by communist leaders to lead
their village and take control, they then act as 'puppets' for the communist leaders, they do as they say in the
fear of being demoted. This obviously fills the headmen with confidence. They take advantage of their power
and act harshly towards the boys. One good example of their high confidence is shown when the headman of
Luo and Ma's village rushes into the mine to retrieve the portrait of Mao. The headman of Four eyes' village acts
selfishly when he presumably takes a bribe from four eyes' mum in order to allow four eyes to leave.

Physical Effects

They act more powerful, they aren't required to do as much work.

Physically the headmen take their high confidence with them, they walk around with a strong stature and order
people to work. Now that they have been given this job they are no longer required to work as hard as the other
villagers. A strong physical figure is shown when the headman runs into the collapsing mine, this proves to his
villagers that he is strong and that he deserves to be the headman.

Quotes

-“ex-opium grower turned communist” after the communist leaders contacted them they changed completely,
this also provides a small background check.

-"get to work, spawn of bullocks balls!" shows that he believes he is better than others.

-“lord and master” shows self confidence.

-“all-seeing eye of the dictatorship of the proletariat” shows what their job is and it also shows their power.

- when talking about Ma's father “beyond belief, an unpardonable, insane crime, worse than revealing a secret
of national security” we can see how he speaks down towards him making Ma feel very bad.

Character Analysis
Four Eyes
Pages 21, 41- 60
When Four-Eyes is first introduced as “a friend from the old days”, he is described as a person who is
somewhat close to the narrator and Luo. They “share our spoils as if we were a gang of three”. However, the
fact that he had a “secret suitcase, which he kept carefully hidden” completely contradicts the fact that they
regard each other as good friends. Because of his secret, “a knock on the door... was enough to send him out of
his wits”. His reaction to the knock shows not only that he has much to hide, but also that he is a coward who
cannot handle the psychological stress which comes from having to keep a secret which could ruin his chances
of ever returning to the city. When Luo questions him about the contents of his suitcase, “a flicker of panic”
showed in his eyes. “then vanished... into a smiling mask”. Although not as cunning as Luo, he is quite adept at
lying and deceiving others. His “flicker of panic” reinforces the fact that he has secrets which he would like to
remain concealed.

After the incident where Luo and the narrator confront him about the books in his suitcase,
Four-Eyes “bought a brass padlock from one of his neighbours” and “took the precaution of securing the door of
his house with a chain”. We can see his increasing fear and paranoia about being found out, and his
“heightened vigilance and distrust” shows that the friendship between Four-Eyes, Luo and the narrator is not
substantial enough in Four-Eyesʼ eyes for him to trust them with the truth about his suitcase and the books
inside it.

When faced with stressful situations, Four-Eyes is unable to cope and loses his control over his facade. When
confronted again about his books, he yells “To hell with you”, and “I donʼt know what youʼre talking about. I
havenʼt got any books hidden away”. Because he is in such a state of panic, Four-Eyes forgets to inhibit his
emotions. Unlike his usual self - calm, collected and completely controlled - he gives us a slight glimpse into his
true self while directly confronting the narrator and Luo.

Four-Eyes is depicted as a morally blind/corrupt character who changes sides according to the benefits that
they offer. Despite the fact that Four-Eyes is an intellectual, he feels guilty of breaking the rules of the regime.
We can see this when we are show that he thinks “eating meat struck him a crime typical of the bourgeois class
to which his family belonged”. His want for more benefit can also be seen when he tries to prove himself to the
villagers. Four -Eyes “was so anxious to demonstrate his complete trust in the revolutionary peasants that he
never used to lock the door”. By showing his trust in the peasants, Four-Eyes hopes they will make his re-
education easier and less painful for him. His own selfish needs, which can be seen as a betrayal to the
intellectuals, are met, or rather he tries to achieve them by attempting to excessively please the villagers. His
selfishness is also shown when he promises the narrator and Luo a book. He selects “a thin, worn volume”,
giving them the oldest, most worn out and least worthy book of his, even after the two boys help him with his
tedious chores when he loses his glasses.

Four-Eyes is cautious about the actions he takes because he does not want to initiate any kind of conflict
between him and the villagers, who represent the communist power in his immediate environment. Even though
the buffalo breaks his glasses, “he wouldnʼt allow this mishap to interfere with his work, in case his myopia was
taken as a sign of physical deficiency by the revolutionary peasants and they thought he was a slacker”. He
does not want to spoil the relationship that he has built with the peasants of his village, nor does he want to
destroy his image of being the obedient intellectual who is accepting of the re-education that is being forced
onto him.

Four-Eyesʼ spinelessness can be most clearly seen when he changes from the duteous teenager to the
intellectual who refuses to work. After receiving a letter from his mother telling him about his job offer and his
ticket out of the countryside, “he refused to go out to work in the fields” and instead, “he threw himself heart and
soul into the solitary search for mountain folk songs. Because he does not have to prove himself to or please
the villagers anymore, Four-Eyes immediately changes and abandons all efforts of pleasing them. Because a
better option has come along, he changes his motives and goals. He is extremely disloyal to his aims.

The characterʼs psychological weakness can be seen when he approaches his mother at times of
desperation. When unable to collect folk songs for the publication, he weeps “tears of frustration” and writes a
letter to “his mother telling her of his predicament”. At times of extreme trouble, Four-Eyes turns to his mother
for help. This behaviour is typical of children, which suggests that Four-Eyesʼ character is in fact lacking in
maturity and is unable to cope with problems without guidance and support.

To further communicate the characterʼs defects, Dai Sijie uses Four-Eyesʼ physical weakness to mirror his
psychological shortcomings. The fact that Four-Eyes is “short-sighted” and that he “advanced blindly, tottering
and lurching like a drunkard” can be seen as a metaphor used to express his feebleness, and how he gives in
to higher power and cracks under pressure.

Quotes used above:

+ some extras

P.21 - Luo and I first met the tailor when we went to visit Four-Eyes, a friend from the old days who had been sent
to another village.

P.41 - Four Eyes had a secret suitcase, which he kept carefully hidden.
P.41 - Luo and I often went over to his house in the evening to cook a meal if we had managed to lay hands on
some fresh vegetables from the peasantsʼ gardens. We would share our spoils as if we were a gang of three. This
made it all the more surprising that he didnʼt breathe a word to us about his mysterious suitcase.

P.42 - ...eating meat struck him a crime typical of the bourgeois class to which his family belonged.

P.42 - a knock on the door while we were wreathed in the delicious aromas of some meat dish we had prepared
was enough to send him out of his wits.

P.43 - he was short-sighted.

P.44 - He had few personal belongings, and was so anxious to demonstrate his complete trust in the revolutionary
peasants that he never used to lock the door.

P.45 - A flicker of panic showed in our short-sighted friendʼs eyes, then vanished behind his glasses as he
composed his features into a smiling mask.

P.45 - Listen, weʼre all friends, we have some good times together, which is fine, but if you go on about such
rubbish as forbidden books, dammit, then...

P.45 - Soon afterwards Four-Eyes bought a brass padlock from one of his neighbours, and from then on he
always took the precaution of securing the door of his house with a chain.

P.46 - When I checked the space underneath I found that the crate was still there, but the leather suitcase had
gone.

P.46 - The heightened vigilance and distrust shown by Four-Eyes in spite of the friendship between us, seemed
to substantiate Luoʼs theory, and we grew convinced that the suitcase was indeed filled with banned books.

P.48 - I was sure, however, that he wouldnʼt allow this mishap to interfere with his work, in case his myopia was
taken as a sign of physical deficiency by the revolutionary peasants and they thought he was a slacker.

P.49 - “To hell with you,” growled Four-Eyes. “ i donʼt know what youʼre talking about. I havenʼt got any books
hidden away.”

P.50 - He advanced blindly, tottering and lurching like a drunkard.

P.50 - From afar we watched him zigzag down the path only to lose his footing....

P.51 - On our return Four-Eyes gave us a book - a thin, worn volume. The authors name was Balzac.

P.52 - ....of all the treasures in his precious suitcase, it was the thinnest book, and the most decrepit

P.60 - After receiving this news Four -Eyes walked on air. He felt completely changed. For the first time in his life
he was suffused with happiness. He refused to go out to work in the fields. Instead, he threw himself heart and
soul into the solitary search for mountain folk songs.

P.60 - Weeping tears of frustration, he had written to his mother telling her of his predicament.

Pages 71 - 101

(p71)

“… Four-Eyes actually beamed at anyone with deep contentment.”

“…suddenly the smile faded from Four-Eyesʼ face, making way for a scowl.”

“His voice had a sharp edge of an army commander.”

In this chapter, Four Eyesʼ two-faced character is clearly portrayed. At the beginning, “Four-Eyes
actually beamed at anyone with deep contentment” when he thought that Luo and Ma had brought
him what he wanted. This demonstrates that Four-Eyes is willing to use facades, such as his
friendship with the boys, if it will give him what he wants; give him a chance to escape. `
(p72) “How could you waste all that precious time writing down this drivel?”

(p73) “ …Dimwits, thatʼs what you are.”

Lyrics of Four Eyesʼ adapted revolutionary song:

“Tell me;

Little Bourgeois lice,

What do they fear?

They fear the boiling wave of the proletariat.”

In this scene, it is clear that Four-Eyes is corrupt as he is willing to manipulate the simple peasant songs into
propaganda tools to escape Phoenix Mountain. Four-Eyes experiences a major character development as his
negative personality traits, such as greed, are exposed. He becomes “insanely arrogant” and treats the boys as
inferior, “Dimwits, thatʼs what you are” because the songs are not typical Revolutionary songs. Four-Eyes
mocks the Old Miller and the true, unchanged peasant way of life because they will not aid him. He calls the
songs, “Smutty Rhymes” to degrade them and make them seem like rubbish.

This also shows us the impulsiveness in Four – Eyesʼ personality, as we can see that he has a big change in
attitude after he finds out that the songs werenʼt what he needed. Four- Eyes weak sense of friendship is also
depicted when he calls them ʻDimwitsʼ, showing his ungratefulness despite Luo and Maʼs voyage to the Old
Millerʼs home for him.

We can see that Four-Eyes is hypocritical as, although he states he is looking for authentic peasant songs, he
dismisses them as they are “dirty ditties” and are not part of the Cultural Revolution. Four-Eyes is one character
clearly affected by the Communist Regime and is willing to take whatever action to aid him in his quest to
escape the mountain. This chapter ultimately shows that Four-Eyes does not truly believe in the peasant way of
thinking and is willing to take whichever side, whether it be the peasant way or the bourgeois way, that has the
best chance of saving him.

Next section…(p 81)

“ One day, my son got so angry with the fellow that he punched him on the jaw and gave him a beating, Iʼm told he bled
profusely.”

Here, the audience can see that Four-Eyes has a strong sense of dignity and is willing to lie to his mother to
ʻsave faceʼ. He does not want to be perceived as weak or cowardly and wants to remain in what he feels is a
position of power over the boys. His cowardice is then reinforced later by the negative physical effects the
Buffalo Blood has on him.

Next Section…

(p84)

“Although we were the only two friends Four Eyes ever made on the mountain, we were not on the guest list.”The
narrator reveals to us the insignificance of Luo and Ma to Four Eyes, as “…we [the boys] were not on the guest
list.” Regardless of their voyage to the Old Millerʼs in order to get Four Eyes the lyrics of mountain folk songs,
Four Eyes doesnʼt have much appreciation and does not consider them ʻtrue friendsʼ (shown in the quote
below). This emphasizes Four-Eyes two-faced nature and exposes the facade he built up in an effort to remain
friends with the boys, even though he thought little of them.

(p97)

“ I stayed friends with them because I thought you and Pa had problems with your teeth, and that one day Luoʼs father
might be of assistance.” His weak sense of friendship is reinforced here when he tells his mother that he only
remained a friend to the boys because they might be of his parentsʼ assistance in the future. This further shows
that he is a calculating person, as he thinks he can gain something from them in the future. Four Eyes clearly
hasnʼt treated the boys as true friends, and his two – faced personality can be depicted here. Again, Four-Eyes
is corrupt and manipulative as his sole purpose of his continued friendship with the boys is to gain benefits
from Luoʼs father due to his obedience and respect for his parents.

From this, we understand the purpose behind Four Eyeʼs keeping Luo and Ma as friends. There is a sense that
Four-Eyes betrayed the boys here. Despite the boysʼ kindness to travel to the Old Miller to help their ʻfriendʼ find
the mountain folk song he needed, Four Eyes didnʼt show any sign of appreciation and gratefulness after the
two boys brought him the lyrics from the Old Miller and, instead, responded in a complete change of attitude
and a further, negative character development. We can also see from here that Four Eyeʼs is a person who
clearly values being in control and having power much more than friendship.

(p88)“Itʼs a remedy against cowardice. To gain courage, you must swallow it when itʼs still lukewarm and frothy.”
“As he made the way up the steep incline I noted he was still smacking his lips to prolong the taste.” - A false gain of
courage, ironic because this only give him diarrhea.

(p98)“Iʼve got the runs…” Four Eyes wailed.ʼ This scene is ironic as it clearly shows that Four-Eyes lacks the
strength to digest the Buffaloʼs Blood, something the blood is supposed to cure. Although the buffalo blood is
meant to be a ʻremedy against cowardiceʼ, it ultimately results in Four Eyesʼ diarrhea and reinforces his lack of
courage and strength. It is also ironic because, despite drinking the Buffalo Blood, Four Eyes doesnʼt have the
courage to denounce the boys of stealing his books before he leaves the mountain, which further shows that he
is weak as he doesnʼt want to be listed as a reactionary for keeping the books.

(p98) “It was exceptionally long, and no doubt once belonged to the unfortunate buffalo responsible for breaking Four –
Eyesʼ glasses.”Revenge is also part of Four-Eyes complex character, as shown when he kept the tail of the
“unfortunate buffalo responsible for breaking Four-Eyesʼ glasses”. Dai Sijie is purposefully making Four-Eyesʼ
character seem inhuman as we pity the “unfortunate” buffalo that died due to Four-Eyesʼ celebration of his
manipulation and corruption of the peasant songs.

(p101) “Four – Eyes left the mountain without daring to denounce us…”There is irony that the buffalo blood is
supposed to be a ʻremedy against cowardiceʼ, because, as we can see, Four Eyes always appears to be very
cowardly, shown by his constant fear of having the books found, and pretends to be guiltless when Luo and Ma
asks about the books, “ I donʼt know what youʼre talking about, I havenʼt got any books hidden away.” This is
reinforced with Four Eyesʼ departure from Phoenix Mountain, not mentioning a word about the stolen books and
clearly portrays his cowardice; even after he has eaten the Buffalo blood, he doesnʼt dare to denounce the boys,
as he doesnʼt want to be listed as a reactionary for keeping forbidden books. Four eyes has a two faced
personality and will change sides whenever it suits him.

Additional notes:
- Four Eyes acts a complete contrast to the two boys in his attitude towards the communist regime and the revolution. The
boys are always rebellious, satorise the cultural revolution and try to make fun of it, whereas four eyes by contrast, is
completely in fear and in awe of it, and will not at any stage go against it. 2 attitudes to the revolution, to village life, to re-
education.

Luo
Mozart is Thinking of Chairman Mao p. 4-7 Luo reacts audaciously to the village headmanʼs ignorance of Maʼs violin – he
is very relaxed as he takes on the headman and baffles him with musical terms mixed with Communist propaganda. He gets
Ma to play some Mozart: “Mozart is thinking of Chairman Mao”. He completely befuddles the Headman.

Luoʼs background p8-10 His father is a dentist who “once fixed Chaiman Maoʼs teeth” but who fell out because of “an
unpardonable crime” for revealing he had done so. Ma says “Luo was the best friend I ever had …we very rarely quarreled”.
Luo once hit Ma showing his emotional side. Both had attended a public humiliation of his father for his crimes. His Dad had a
huge chunk of concrete around his neck and the word “reactionary” and had to publicly admit he slept with a nurse. Luo hits
Ma for crying on the way home. Luo shows his hatred of the communist cultural revolution process when he tells Ma: “weʼll
note down everyone who denounces my father or beats him … we can take our revenge when weʼre older”. As far as the
Communists are concerned he wonʼt let them see his weakness, so he objects to Maʼs tears. This youth experience makes
him depressed as a re-educated city youth, the fear he wonʼt get away from the mountain, his hatred of the communists, his
delight at sending them up.

Work, depression, the future worries p14+ Both Luo and Ma detest the work they have to do: “we dreaded most of all was
having to carry buckets of shit on our backs”. The boys take great delight in playing with the clock they brought with them and
it is managed by the village Headman: “sometimes, instead of turning the clock back, we would put it forward by an hour or
two, so as to finish the dayʼs work early”. Shows their audacity at fooling the locals.

Luo gets very depressed by the constant drizzle, is unable to sleep and smokes a lot. Clearly he is unable to adapt from city
life to peasant life. Furthermore they are totally depressed at the thought of possibly spending their whole lives in the re-
education program: “there was plenty of cause for dejection and insomnia”.

“The only thing Luo was really good at was telling stories”. Luo becomes a master at “oral cinema” making up stories to
accompany the silent movies shown by the Village Headman. He has the ability to take “complete control of the narrative …
make the audience ecstatic”

Meeting the LCS p23 Luo “a born impersonator” makes fun of the LCSʼs father, the tailor and takes great delight in getting
her to laugh. He immediately flirts with her by camparing toe sizes and making a bet. He misjudges her somewhat when he
says: “sheʼs not civilized, at least not enough for me”.

In the coal mine p26+ Luo has a horrific thought that they would not leave the mine alive. The working conditions are shocking
and they get to Luo (but not Ma) because he is physically less capable of enduring the suffering. Ma hears Luo “weeping ..
with passionate abandon”. Again reveals Luoʼs emotional side. Not surprisingly, he gets malaria.
Letter from LCS p31+ The letter from the LCS matches Luoʼs flirtations and indicates she is a match for him. He does not
see the full significance of her claim to be educated and know city people – all preparing the way for her departure later on.

Malaria and nursed by the LCS p34+ The LCS takes Luo in readily and she puts him into her bed and later has him
watched by sorceresses and gives him herbal folk medicine which helps him recover. Luo takes the opportunity to have his
first kiss.

Books p47+ In discussing the books, the boys say they havenʼt read Western Literature but know about it. Luo gets his
literature influence from an aunt who read to him. He speculates that Four Eyes has Western books. It is Luo who plans the
deal to get a book from Four Eyes – by carrying his hod to the rice station as Four Eyes is physically incapable. Again shows
his cunning, resourcefulness and audacity

Luo reads Balzac the night he gets it and goes to see the LCS p53. When he returns he does so with his trophies of conquest.

When Luo returns he has with him the trophies of sexual conquest – both he and the LCS lose their virginity. He has a cloth
torn from the LCSʼs shirt wrapped around “dried leaves … all had the same pretty shape, like butterfly wings, in shades
ranging from deep orange to brown streaked with pale gold, but all of them were stained black with blood”. Does this suggest
already that the relationship wonʼt last? Colourful now, yes, but ultimately dark and dying? The leaves are from a “magnificent,
towering” gingko tree “in a secret valley”. They make love “against the trunk” of the tree. Standing”. This shows again how the
LCS is Luoʼs equal – he says they make love “like horses”. The LCS is totally delighted by the experience, feeling no sense
of guilt or doubt. Luo tells Ma “she laughed afterwards, a laugh so piercing, so wild, and echoing so far and wide even the
birds took wing in fright”. It is portrayed by Ma as almost a supernatural experience with the description of the tree: “The
nobility of its trunk, the grandeur of its branches, the carpet of butterfly leaves”.

The LCS has a powerful reaction to Balzacʼs book: P57-58 Luoʼs report on his reading to the LCS

Luoʼs arrogant attitude to the Seamstress, his misjudging of her character is evident when, after giving Balzac back to Four-
Eyes he says that reading the whole book to her “would have made her more refined, more cultured”. Suggests he only sees
her in terms of her beauty, as someone he can mould. As Ma had copied out passages from the book onto a coat, Luo is able
to take it to the LCS to read – he reads it to her, then she reads it to herself. The imagery surrounding this episode is religious:
“beautiful day, the sky was heavenly blue, blissful and clear …coat was resting on the flat of her hands, the way a sacred
object lies in the hands of the pious”.

The reaction of the LCS is, according to Luo, profound: “when she had finished reading she sat there quite still, open-
mouthed”. He goes on to say Balzac “touched the head of this mountain girl with an invisible finger, and she was transformed,
carried away in a dream. It took her a while to come down to earth … she said having Balzacʼs words next to her skin made
her feel good, and also more intelligent”. This does add to the LCSʼs “education” being more informed about life from a story
of “awakening desire, passion, impulsive action, love”. Clearly the story mirrors her image of a life she wants to lead. But has
she already shown signs of leading this life style.

(P57) Luo thinks the books will make the LCS “more refined, more cultured”

(P58) Luo sees Balzac as “a wizard” …”she was transformed”

(P62) Visit to the Miller to get the mountain songs – Luo is the “con man” both acting as Beijing party officials. He translates
the words of the songs “with all the serious air of an official interpreter”. He tells everyone ; ʻEvery citizen …is duty bound to
pass them on”. This reinforces Luoʼs audacity, echoing his use of the violin and the clock from earlier scenes – exploiting the
mountain folkʼs ignorance.

The Millerʼs risqué song brings great laughter – Luo and Ma “rolled over the ground in a paroxysm of hilarity” they totally enjoy
the simple passion of the Miller, his “sincere, authentic, romantic mountain songs”. The episode shows their acting abilities
and sense of enjoyment in contrast to Four Eyesʼ hatred of the Old Miller. When Four Eyes reacts so negatively to the songs,
Luo says “I thought he was great – his songs, his voice”. The boys have respect for someone who is direct, sincere and
unaffected. The Old Miller is in contrast to the hypocrisy of the communists.

(P85) Makes key to break into Four Eyes house to steal the suitcase to get the books – shows cunning, resourcefulness. In
stealing the books (p93) Luo says “all I feel is loathing” at being kept away from the books. He wants to “read all of them”. The
boys are nearly caught in the act but manage to get away with the books which represent their real education in contrast to
the Communist “re-education” approach.

(P103) Luoʼs intention in reading the books to the LCS is to “endow the lovely Seamstress with culture”.

(P104) On the path – Luoʼs problems. Luo has great difficulty managing the mountain path to the LCSʼs house – Ma sees the
irony: “It was a mystery to me why Luo who seemed so daring in all things, should have a dread of heights. He was an
intellectual type and had never climbed a tree in his life”. He is the opposite of Ma and the LCS who can negotiate the path
easily. Shows his physical weakness. He sees a red-beaked raven every morning on the path, it is gone on his return.

Luo is the subject of Maʼs mountain ridge nightmare – he and the LCS fall off the ridge and are injured. Creates a sense of
doom, foreshadows the ending of the book.
(P110) + The tooth filling scene

The VH assumes that Luo will be able to repair his teeth “Iʼm sure you must have seen your father do it a thousand times”. At
first Luo tries to dissuade him. When the VH accuses the boys of spreading “reactionary rubbish” by telling the Count of
Monte Christo story, Luo again tries his con man tricks claiming the working class elements of the story: “before passing
himself off as an aristocrat, the man was a poor sailor”. Luo shows his loyalty to Ma when the VH threatens to march him off
to the Security Office when he says: “Iʼm going with you”. He then agrees to the deal with the VH to fix his teeth to let Luo off.
The treatment is extremely painful and both boys enjoy making it hurt to the maximum. Ma “felt the stirrings of an
uncontrollably sadistic impulse” as Luo gives him a “glance of complicity”.

Old Millerʼs Story (p 126 - 128)

Old Millerʼs story sees the LCS and Luo swimming – sensuality. We see in this section the unrestricted physical sexuality of
the couple. The Miller sees this through his view on life – “not simply swimming together (but) … coupling under water …I had
never seen such a thing in my life – people making love while swimming”. Significantly, he highlights the difference between
the lovers: “she did not seem as tired as her friend – quite to the contrary. She was brimming with energy and clambered
along the surrounding rocks”. Again serves to highlight Luoʼs physical weakness.

Luoʼs story (p129)

This is packed with symbolism – Luo says the LCS used to swim “the way peasants do” but now swims like a dolphin … “she
has the physique of a true swimmer”. He does acknowledge her own self-taught skills: “she discovered all on her own … how
to dive from dangerous heights”. He also associates her with the gingko tree: she makes me so dizzy that the ledge and the
towering ginkgos behind blur into one. Her tiny figure is like a fruit growing at the top of a tree”. Here he claims to have
educated her, made her more sophisticated, but also acknowledges that she is prepared to take more risks than he is – the
whole mountain pool episode parallels, symbolically his attitude to the Seamstress as being someone to mould, develop. Can
he see her fundamental strengths, though, of being more adventurous, of being very intelligent and a fast learner?

The incident involving the LCS diving for Luoʼs key ring is also charged with symbolism and characterization. The key-ring,
according to Luo is a birthday present from his mother “a talisman to ward off misfortune” consisting of “keys to our house in
Chengdu … my personal belongings …the master-key that we used to get into Four-Eyes house to steal the books”. When he
flings it into the pool one September, the LCS immediately dived in to retrieve them: “with a masterful butterfly stroke …rising
upwards with dolphin-like undulations … a beautiful sight”. He believes her action was because “she must have been the only
person in the world who still had faith in my ultimate release from re-education … need my keys again”. The diving into the
pool to retrieve the keys becomes a game – “dangerous” showing the LCSʼs fearless qualities.

The LCSʼs Story

Important thing here is the keys which the LCS retrieves – Luo finds it ironic that they are lost just as he about to go home. In
a sense he throws them away because he feels helpless about getting off the mountain due to the re-education programme.

(P137) Luoʼs departure – visits his sick mother for a month

He wants Ma to “guard her for a month” – considers the LCS to be his property.

The departure of the LCS

In a fit of madness, after the LCS leaves, Luo in a drunken rage burns all the books.: “Luo the arsonist …romantic lover who
had crawled to his beloved on all fours, the admirer of Balzac …sat hunched over the fire, mesmerized by all the flames
consuming all the stories and characters we had grown to love so dearly …was crying and laughing in turns”. Shows his very
emotional response to the departure of the LCS which Ma says “had taken us completely by surprise”. Their combined naivety
is made clear when Ma says: “we spent a long time searching our traumatized memories for any hints she may have given us
of the calamity that was to befall us. In the end we came up with several tell-tale signs, which were for the most part
connected with her wardrobe”. In other words they did not see her departure coming. Luo recalls that she developed an
“obsession to become a city girl” two months before, but he did not realize the significance at the time.

Luo and Ma claim to have not expected the departure of the LCS but it has been suggested right the way through. She makes
a bra, then starts speaking like a “city girl” using the boysʼ accent (suggests the actress coming out). She remodels the blue
Mao jacket to be like a city womanʼs (“mannish”), wears white tennis shoes, cuts her hair in a short bob “very becoming and
modern-looking” which “delighted” Luo because of the “transformation”. All makes her look, according to Ma “stylish and
sensual …the lovely, unsophisticated mountain girl had vanished without trace”. Luo believes it is all his doing: “Luo was filled
with the happiness of an artist contemplating his finished creation”. He claims: “all that time we spent reading to her has
certainly paid off …this metamorphosis, this feat of Balzacian re-education…we were too wrapped up in ourselves to notice
the warning signals …did we overestimate the power of love?”

The LCS leaves to “change her life and try her chances in the city”, not telling the boys. She is dismissed by her father saying:
“donʼt ever come back”. Shows her strength of purpose, knowing what she is giving up. Haunted by the dream of the LCS
injured at the bottom of the ridge, Ma goes off with Luo to find her. Does he underestimate her physical skills at crossing the
mountain? They find her at the ancestral graveyard, bidding farewell to her ancestors.

Luo does not argue with her, and Ma feels “betrayed” because he is not told seemingly deserving more because of the
“complicity” over the abortion. Ma refers to Luo and the LCS as “statues” they donʼt talk. When Ma offers her a potato she
“took off like a bird”. Her departing words to Luo were that “she had learnt one thing from Balzac: that a womanʼs beauty is a
treasure beyond price”. This shows that she did not need the boys anymore and has her own sense of confidence and power
to take on the city life. It is a clear show of strength and independence, albeit with a hint that she will use her beauty in a
series of relationships with men and take advantage of them. Luo expects to possess her and control her as his lover but she
outgrows him, the books and the love affair. Luo emerges as rather blinded and naïve to the LCSʼs independence, strength
and power.

Summary of Luoʼs Characteristics, Thoughts and Personalities

• audacious, daring, cunning, cocky

• constantly seeks to undermine power of headman
• respect for father; does not forgive easily
• cultural crusader, aims to transform seamstress
• physically challenged by conditions during Reeducation ( weak, malaria)
• amazing storyteller, makes people emotional
• underestimates seamstress
• strong bond with Ma, offers to go with him to be flogged
• mostly physical relationship with seamstress
• egocentric, takes complete credit for seamstress’ transformation
• believes seamstress will stay for him
• deep hatred of cultural revolution
• Audacious, bold, fearless
• Deep respect for Old Miller; his brand of sexuality is untainted by Communist regime and remains a simple, authentic
way of life.

Old Miller
ʻWhen the boys visit himʼ (p.62-70)
They are sent to instrument the deceitful, duplicitous Four-Eyeʼs motives.

1.) Shows the hardship on the mountain with the use of humor
2.) The comedy in the chapter where the boys visit him to obtain the folk songs is funny because it also reveals the terrible
poverty in which he lives, fleas on his bed, no education, stones used to make soup only a bed as furniture.
Helps to show that communists ideals in the remote villages was not strong
3.) He has no idea about Beijing and communism as he does not know that the name was changed after the communist
takeover, to him Beijing is called “Bai Ping”.
4.) He does not even think to report Luo and the Little Chinese Seamstress when he discovers them naked by the pool near
his mill because he simply does not agree with the re-education.
5.) Irony of boys dressing up as communist officials who they have a deep seat hatred for.
6.) ”Copy of the jacket worn by Chairman Mao”
7.)”Stepped straight off an official photograph of a communist party conference”
8.) Ignorance of the old miller “Whereʼs Beijing”
9.) Irony of the miller throwing the narrator “a look of deep respect” touching his buttons with the reference suitable for a
revolutionary cadre when in reality the narrator is just a young boy who has been sent for re-education and whose parents
have been labeled class enemies.
10.)Incongruity: boys want cultural folk songs and the miller only has sexually suggestive crude songs.
Humorous how fiction and art mimic reality, “I found myself nodding and shaking hands with everyone like some political
leader in a newsreel”
11.) Ridiculous images
12.)Narrator wearing a green cap represents Dai Sijieʼs covert mockery of Chairman Mao; to wear green caps in Chinese
culture means that your wife is cheating on you.
13.) The innocent hospitality of the old miller offering “Jade Dumplings” to unwilling guests; situational comedy.
14.)The old miller was unaware of the new name of the capital of his own country.

Irony of the narrator and Luo being sent dressed up as Communist Party officials, and the old miller showing deep respect to
young boys.

The old miller also falls for the poor performance of the two boys, again positioning us to look down upon the inferior
intelligence of the peasants.
In the song, why would the nun fear the old monk? Sexually suggestive, irony because it is completely the reverse of the
romantic and authentic folk songs the two characters were seeking.

Irony of the search for ʻsincereʼ songs when they themselves arenʼt sincere.

The “armies of lice” could reflect the overwhelming strength of the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution.

The innocent hospitality of the old miller when offering the “jade dumplings”, who is also oblivious to the repugnant dirt and
filth of his own home.
We end up laughing at the suffering of the two boys when the old miller actually intends to be hospitable.
Show the desperation of Luo and the narrator to get the forbidden books.
Instead of the alcohol, they drink the lamp oil. We laugh at their misfortune.

Four Eyesʼ reaction to ʻAuthentic mountain songsʼ (not pro-communist)

Luo and Ma have a connection with the Old Miller - positive warm connection. The Old Miller is an authentic, untainted
peasant who is completely unaffected by the communist regime. There is no pretentiousness in his character.
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ʻThe Old Millerʼs storyʼ (p.126-132)

Ravens- Fate and foreshadows blood, passion and death

Gingko Tree- Because of all its properties, it is associated with longevity. is resilient and adaptable within an ever changing
environment. The light green colour is synonymous with a fresh, young beginning.

Love - Luo and LCS (sex which gets her pregnant)

The Old Miller enjoys looking at the couple making love, as he sees the beauty of the Seamstress, “she stood there, fiddling
with her loncloth, sliding it over her naked ballet and under her, rosy tipped breasts” This so how the innocent mountain
peasant is compelled by the Seamstressʼs body, as well as the whole scene “ there bodies entwined, whirling round and
round in the water.”

Re-education and the Cultural Revolution

The Old Miller doesnʼt even think of turning them in to the Public Security Office as he is supposed to as a good communist;
we understand that the old Miller is totally unaffactd by the Cultural Revolution, and wouldnʼt blindly follow ( as contrasted to
Four Eyes and corrupt headman), and chooses not to denounce the boys.
Changes the whole perspective of book. Comic, embarrassing, brings a sense of wisdom and alternative view to the story.
Brings explicit (sexual) imagery: “naked as worms”, perverted.
Humor is present in the situation. We laugh at the old miller- he tries to defend his perverted nature.

Old Millerʼs character:

-Comic, embarrassing figure of old and in a way shows wisdom
-Authentic
-Not sophisticated
Important Quotes (Old Millerʼs story)
P.126- “Yes indeed, I saw the two of them, both naked as worms”
P. 127- “Copulating? That word is too learned for the likes of me”
P.127- “I felt ashamed, it is true, not because I could not take my eyes of them, but because I was so keenly aware of being
an old man whose body was limp where it was not bony”
P.128-“The secret part of his body was shrunken an sleeping”
P.128-“It was lucky for him, your make-believe interpreter, that it was I who saw him, for I am not easily shocked, and have
never denounced anyone to the Public Security Office”- The old miller in some way resists the communist regime. He can see
the young pure nature of ___. Represents something which is completely different to the other people in the village - in the
story to contrast to the village head man - he stays true to his traditions. Positioning us to see the old miller as a positive
character.
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The importance of the Old Miller in the Context of the Story
The Old Miller represents the authentic Chinese peasant, untainted by the values of the Communist regime – which appeals
to Luo and Ma, because the Miller seems somewhat more ʻgenuineʼ to them. Also, the crudity of his manner critiques the
Cultural Revolution: which aimed to even out the disparities between the powerful, growing bourgeois class and the rural,
peasant class. What sense did this have? What preconceptions did they have about the villagers, and the how does it make
sense to position these kind of people in power?
The Old Miller brings elements of humour, diversion and pure honesty – as well as being highly significant to the socio-
historical context of the story. Dai Sijie steps back to position the reader to see the other side of the coin: to contrast this
innocent image with that of corrupted attitudes, to show the weaker aspects of the Cultural Revolution (corruption)– despite its
(disputable) advances in industry.
The Old Miller resists taking on the power offered by the cultural revolution, he knows he has the power to report these boys
but chooses not to. He has a strong moral code - ideology that he appears to and sticks with. Comes across as a highly
valued character by the two boys.

The Little Chinese Seamstress

When the boys first meet the LCS in her Phoenix mountain setting:P 20 – 25 Initial description of the LCS in the
mountain setting

The LCS is characterized through physical description, which sets her apart from the other locals. Initially, the shoes which
“caught the eye” are “sturdy and supple …delicate and sophisticated”. This shows that she already has a sense of style
probably because of her high status on the mountain as the tailorʼs daughter. This is reinforced by her magnificent long hair
ʻtied with a brand new red silk ribbon”. Her eyes have “sparkle …the loveliest pair of eyes in the district”. Significantly, she is
set apart from the boys geographically because Ma says “a steep valley divided her village from ours”. Later we see that she
is very skilled at traversing the ridge. She is the daughter of the district tailor, the most respected and probably wealthy person
in the area. Her depiction as a princess as suggested by the tailor “who lived like a king”.

When she first meets Luo, she “hooted with laughter” at his impersonation of her father which shows her understanding of
accents and his sense of humour. She has a clear view of her father and is not overawed by him saying “heʼs just an
overgrown child”. Ma again reads her eyes which have an “untamed quality …the gleam of uncut gems”. Behind this
representation is the suggestion that Ma sees her qualities but he underestimates her. The boys are totally captivated by her
beauty: “she had a glowing complexion and her features were fine, almost noble. Her face possessed an impressive, sensual
beauty”.

Her level of education is revealed – she is not the typical mountain peasant. When Ma asks her if she can read she replies
strongly: “not much … but you neednʼt think Iʼm a fool, because I enjoy talking to people who can read or write – the young
people from the city, for instance”. This shows that she already has a sense of education and understanding that city life has
many virtues. This makes the ending less surprising and also makes us see the boys as rather misjudging her level of
knowledge and sophistication. Her dog doesnʼt bark at the boys when they enter, and she tells the boys: “he knows my
tastes”. Here she is projecting herself as someone who is discerning and knows quite a lot about people and what she wants.
She is no subordinate daughter. Clearly she “had taken a liking” to the boys and deliberately puts on water to boil to make
soup so as to keep them in her house. She is able to command the situation.

When Luo flirts with her betting her they have something in common by claiming both “their second toes were longer than the
others”, she rises immediately to the challenge by accepting the bet on her terms: “If I lose, Iʼll lengthen your trousers for
free”. That she is confident with Luo, not timid, is shown with further description of her naked foot which Ma sees as: “more
timid than she but no less sensual for that …tanned, translucent, veined with blue, with toenails that gleamed.”

Luoʼs judgment of her ends the chapter but he underestimates her sophistication and worldliness by saying: “sheʼs not
civilized, at least not enough for me”. We have seen enough of her already to suggest that his analysis is off the mark – Luo
arrogantly assumes that because he comes from the city that he is superior to the Seamstress.

The LCS sends Luo a letter:P 31-32 The Letter from the LCS to Luo

After having met the boys only once, the LCS hearing that Luo is a “teller of films” organizes for them two days off their work
in the coal mine, without consulting them, so they can go to her village to narrate the story as a film is shown. Again she takes
the initiative to engage them – she seeks them out – the hunter, not the hunted. It also shows her power and influence in the
region with the leaders – the village headmen. She also says she would have told them personally but the mine where they
work is “forbidden for girls”. She is confident, powerful and unfazed by life with a strong sense of what she wants.

All this is revealed in a letter she sends Luo indicating her ability to write, something she makes a point of telling Luo so he
wonʼt think of her as uncivilized and uneducated. She writes that she would have been educated at school if there was one
closer, but is “taught to read and write by (her) father … completed elementary education”. She does this to make sure that
Luo does not underestimate her, that she can match him. In the P.S. she also returns to his flirtation by noting that there are
“several people whose second toes are longer than their big toes. Iʼm disappointed but thatʼs life”. This is a put-down of Luo
and suggests that he is not that special in her life – she does not want him to think that. Could also foreshadow her later
departure for the city where she will find many Luos to feed her growing intellect and power to use her beauty.

The LCS takes control of Luo when he arrives at her house with malaria: P 34 – 38 Luo and Ma go to the LCSʼs
house. Luo ill with malaria – taken over by the LCS and put in her bed “ shocked to see the ravages wrought by his
fevers” (34- 38)

Note here the way the LCS takes immediate control of the situation: “she promptly cancelled the oral cinema show and
installed Luo in her room, on her bed under the mosquito net. She rolled her long pigtail into a high chignon on top of her
head. Then she took off her pink shoes and ran outside, barefoot.” She is organizing the whole episode, seizing the chance to
care for and capture Luo. She then provides Luo with a folk medicine remedy, leading to a discussion about “things you canʼt
explain naturally”. Maʼs response of “you canʼt believe in them totally, but you canʼt deny them either” strikes a chord in her,
showing that she is open minded – far from a peasant girl.

She is curious to know if Luo is a Buddhist. She organizes four sorceresses to “keep a vigil” over Luo. Shows her belief in
superstition and spiritual cures. As Ma narrates a film, he has “the impression there was something different about the Little
Seamstress … her hair was hanging loose in luxuriant tresses, a wonderful mane cascading over her shoulders. I guessed
that Luo must have reached out of the mosquito net and untied her long pigtail with feverish fingers … I thought I saw the
Little Seamstress lift one corner of the net and bend over Luo in the dark for a furtive kiss.” Shows how the LCS is more than
a match for Luo and is proactive in the relationship.

The LCS hears one of Luoʼs stories taken from Four-Eyes books: The LCS loses her virginity in a torrid love-making
scene:P 53-56 Luo goes to visit the LCS to tell her a story, Ma is jealous:# Luo returns with his conquest trophies –
making love to the virgin LCS against the ginkgo tree

After the boys read Ursule Mirouet by Balzac, Luo charges off to see the LCS to tell her the story. Shows the power she has
over Luo. As Ma imagines the encounter he, also besotted with the LCS, “felt a stab of jealousy, a bitter wrenching emotion”.
Shows again the power she has over the narratorʼs feelings.
 When Luo returns he has with him the trophies of sexual conquest – both he and the LCS lose their virginity. He
has a cloth torn from the LCSʼs shirt wrapped around “dried leaves … all had the same pretty shape, like butterfly wings, in
shades ranging from deep orange to brown streaked with pale gold, but all of them were stained black with blood”. Does this
suggest already that the relationship wonʼt last? Colourful now, yes, but ultimately dark and dying? The leaves are from a
“magnificent, towering” gingko tree “in a secret valley”. They make love “against the trunk” of the tree. Standing”. This shows
again how the LCS is Luoʼs equal – he says they make love “like horses”. The LCS is totally delighted by the experience,
feeling no sense of guilt or doubt. Luo tells us “she laughed afterwards, a laugh so piercing, so wild, and echoing so far and
wide even the birds took wing in fright”. It is portrayed by Ma as almost a supernatural experience with the description of the
tree: “The nobility of its trunk, the grandeur of its branches, the carpet of butterfly leaves”.

The LCS has a powerful reaction to Balzacʼs book: P57-58 Luoʼs report on his reading to the LCS

Luoʼs arrogant attitude to the Seamstress, his misjudging of her character is evident when, after giving Balzac back to Four-
Eyes he says that reading the whole book to her “would have made her more refined, more cultured”. Suggests he only sees
her in terms of her beauty, as someone he can mould. As Ma had copied out passages from the book, Luo is able to take it to
the LCS to read – he reads it to her, then she reads it to herself. The imagery surrounding this episode is religious: “beautiful
day, the sky was heavenly blue, blissful and clear …coat was resting on the flat of her hands, the way a sacred object lies in
the hands of the pious”.

The reaction of the LCS is, according to Luo, profound: “when she had finished reading she sat there quite still, open-
mouthed”. He goes on to say Balzac “touched the head of this mountain girl with an invisible finger, and she was transformed,
carried away in a dream. It took her a while to come down to earth … she said having Balzacʼs words next to her skin made
her feel good, and also more intelligent”. This does add to the LCSʼs “education” being more informed about life from a story
of “awakening desire, passion, impulsive action, love”. Clearly the story mirrors her image of a life she wants to lead. But has
she already shown signs of leading this life style.

The LCS and Luo at the LCSʼs ancestral tomb p78, 82

The LCS makes a point of showing the boys “where her maternal grandfather is buried” … “among the graves of the poor” …
“the ancestorʼs grave was very modest, insignificant even … inscribed with just one name and two dates encapsulating an
unremarkable life”. Luo and the LCS put “wild flowers” on the grave, including “some rare wild orchids with immaculate milk-
white petals set around a heart of the softest yellow”. Does this represent the LCS? Or just the very respectful heartfelt
gesture? The LCSʼs joy of life is shown when she and Luo laugh heartily: “laughter that filled the silence of the graveyard”
when Ma tells them of his impersonation of Luo to Four-Eyesʼ mother. The power of the LCSʼs beauty and liveliness
intoxicates Ma who finds her as she laughs “breathtaking” and he says: “I was so utterly captivated that I wanted to marry her
there and then, regardless of her being Luoʼs girlfriend… I caught the musky fragrance of wild orchids, stronger than the scent
of the flowers lying at her feet”.

She shows deep respect for her late grandfather: “she prostrated herself several times, speaking soothing words to him in a
kind of murmured monologue”. However, in a clear contrast she shows straight away her cunning, daring adventurous side
when she says: “About those books of his – what if we stole them?” Again we see her taking the lead with the boys – it is her
suggestion that leads to the theft. She is an active, willing participant.

The LCS listens for news of Four-Eyes just prior to his departure. She is able to help the boys prepare for the theft of
the books

P84-85 The LCS as spy for the boys – she hears everything about Four-Eyes in the week before his departure, assisting the
boys to steal the books from Four Eyes. This shows her equal complicity in the theft. The “rusty nails” used to make a key to
unlock Four-Eyesʼ book box comes from a drawer in a chest owned by the LCS.

Luoʼs arrogant attitude to the LCS again p 94 and supported by Ma p101

Upon stealing the books, Luo states that “with these books I shall transform the LCS. Sheʼll never be a simple mountain girl
again”. He has not seen her educated or sophisticated side. Is he naïve? Is he so wrapped up in his belief that he is
controlling the development of the LCS? After reading the books about “the mystery of the outside world, especially the world
of women, love and sex” Ma takes Balzacʼs Piere Goriot which “he was going to read to the LS, the lovely mountain girl in
need of culture”. Is this another assumption on the part of both boys that the LCS is completely ignorant of these matters?

The treacherous mountain path between the two villages. The LCS enters the subconscious of Ma in his nightmare
of her departure foreshadowing the ending.

(P103) Luo goes often to see the LCS and read to her “true to his ambition to endow the LS with culture”. The LCS (and Ma)
are much more comfortable than Luo at traversing the path because he has a fear of heights. This leads Ma to think about the
future of Luoʼs relationship with the LCS: I watched Luo until he made it to the end of the ridge, which I was beginning to think
of as purgatory … suddenly I felt apprehensive about how his adventure with the LS would turn out The big black bird had
vanished, leaving an eerie silence on the mountain”. This foreshadows the split at the end of the book where the LCS leaves.

(107-109) Maʼs nightmare involving the LCS and Luo on the ridge – the LCS leading Luo but then found at the bottom of the
ridge after and apparent fall. In the dream he sees the LCS “vivacious, full of fun, shapely in a tight white T-shirt and black
trousers. She wasnʼt walking across the ridge, she was prancing, while her young lover Luo followed behind on all fours…the
LSʼs hair wasnʼt tied back into her usual long thick pigtail, and as she ran her hair floated out over her shoulders like wings. I
scanned the mountainside for the red-beaked raven, and when my eyes returned to my friends, the little Seamstress had
vanished. There was only Luo now, on his knees in the middle of the ridge staring down the precipice”. This is a very
important extract because it foreshadows the ending. Luo is not aware of the power and independence of the LCS.

The boys continue to stereotype the LCS, thinking she is weak, as Ma asks Luo to tell the LCS to stay off the ridge. Luo
refuses, because “she wants to come here” suggesting he does not want to miss out on her affection. He does concede a little
by saying he will tell her to wait until the ridge is repaired. Ma also does not want the LCS to know about his dream.

Reactions to the LCS and Luo swimming together naked. Shows the difference between the LCS and Luo and what
knowledge she has gained from him.

(P126-128) Old Millerʼs story sees the LCS and Luo swimming – sensuality. We see in this section the unrestricted physical
sexuality of the couple. The Miller sees this through his view on life – “not simply swimming together (but) … coupling under
water …I had never seen such a thing in my life – people making love while swimming”. Significantly, he highlights the
difference between the lovers: “she did not seem as tired as her friend – quite to the contrary. She was brimming with energy
and clambered along the surrounding rocks”.

Note her association with the birds: “the red-beaked ravens returned, alighting all around her on the high, narrow ledge …all
of a sudden she brushed them aside with her feet and a few steps back. Then she rushed forward for a great leap into space,
her arms outstretched like the wings of a swallow sailing on the breeze … the ravens followed suit. But before soaring into the
sky they dived alongside the girls flying body. She had become a swallow. Her wings, extended, did not fold until she touched
the surface of the water and plummeted into the depths”.

(129-132)# Luoʼs story his version of the swimming incident

This is packed with symbolism – Luo says the LCS used to swim “the way peasants do” but now swims like a dolphin … “she
has the physique of a true swimmer”. He does acknowledge her own self-taught skills: “she discovered all on her own … how
to dive from dangerous heights”. He also associates her with the gingko tree: she makes me so dizzy that the ledge and the
towering ginkgos behind blur into one. Her tiny figure is like a fruit growing at the top of a tree” . Here he claims to have
educated her, made her more sophisticated, but also acknowledges that she is prepared to take more risks than he is – the
whole mountain pool episode parallels, symbolically his attitude to the Seamstress as being someone to mould, develop. Can
he see her fundamental strengths, though, of being more adventurous, of being very intelligent and a fast learner?

The incident involving the LCS diving for Luoʼs key ring is also charged with symbolism and characterization. The key-ring,
according to Luo is a birthday present from his mother “a talisman to ward off misfortune” consisting of “keys to our house in
Chengdu … my personal belongings …the master-key that we used to get into Four-Eyes house to steal the books”. When he
flings it into the pool one September day, the LCS immediately dived in to retrieve them: “with a masterful butterfly stroke …
rising upwards with dolphin-like undulations … a beautiful sight”. He believes her action was because “she must have been
the only person in the world who still had faith in my ultimate release from re-education … need my keys again”. The diving
into the pool to retrieve the keys becomes a game – “dangerous” showing the LCSʼs fearless qualities.

(133-136) The LCS story swimming retrieving the key ring

The LCS dives into the pool as she is motivated by the books Luo reads “like blurting out what you are thinking”. The books
animate her to physical action. The bottom of the pool “a bluish blur ..murkiness .. a veil” contains stones “like pale eggs …
some …big as human heads …others like buffalo horns .. some sharp and jagged ..barbed edges …shells”. These images
suggest fertility, foreshadowing the pregnancy, but also the abortion “make you bleed”. They also suggest the LCSʼs future
which will be a mixture of ease and difficulty. The emphasis on how ancient the setting is suggests the timeless, universal
quality of the relationship with Luo – in this case it is a love that has limitations – the “apprentice” LCS is already beginning to
outgrow her “master”. Her ability to see through the middle class Balzacian characters is made clear. She enjoys diving down
as she “just loves pleasing Luo”. She says she is not “like a silly dog that keeps running to fetch the stick thrown by its master.
Iʼm not like those young French girls Balzac talks about. Iʼm a mountain girl”. She values her natural physicality, and her own
independent action – she chooses to please Luo, wheras Balzacʼs women are conditioned by class to please the men. This
throws into question exactly what does she get from the books – is it what Luo thinks she gets?

The LCS acts out a scene from the Count of Monte Christo with Luo – again foreshadowing the final scene of the book where
she departs: “the Count finally meets the woman he loved when he was young …same girl on whose account he was
sentenced to twenty years in prison …youʼd swear she had completely forgotten her past … the Count was still in love with
me.. as if I were the girl who had married the man who had betrayed him”. The LCS realizes her ability to take on roles – to be
an actress. She is able to be “a completely different person … a rich lady … and still be your own self … Luo told me Iʼd make
a good actress”. Again we see here her own creativity coming out – it is in her, Luo did not put it there, he merely provides the
text for her to act out.

Diving into the pool again the LCS has trouble retrieving the key ring because of a snake – she finds it “frighteningʼ and thinks
that the stones at the bottom are ʻhorrible creatures out to get me”. She gives up when the snake bites her “fierce and very
painful”. She feels that this episode will mark her for life – physically, of course, but also mentally: fifty years from now the ugly
scar will still be there”. This could represent her sense of guilt at realizing her ability to go beyond Luo – the keys represent his
knowledge, what he has given her, which she very quickly has absorbed and no longer needs to act independently. Again
foreshadows the ending. There is a hint that her future might not be all that rosey. Could also suggest that the scar is the
mental scar left by the upcoming abortion. Itʼs a multi-faceted scene packed with possible meanings.

The LCS without Luo being “looked after” by Ma: 137-146 Ma looking after the LCS while Luo is away – has several
fantasies
Luo asks Ma to “guard the LCS …serve as the guardian of her affections” while he is away visiting his sick mother, fearing
“admirers ..city youths” would seek her out. The boys are very possessive of the LCS as Ma believes her “private life (is a)
domain which only Luo …was rightfully entitled”. They assume that she is their object – Ma describes her as “a priceless
treasure for safekeeping” but what about her own ambitions?

Ma reads to the LCS believing that she was “not aware she was under surveillance – to her I was merely a substitute reader
… she enjoyed listening to me …more than (Luo)”. Shows the power the LCS has over Ma whose judgments are very self
indulgent and do not allow for the LCS to have her own thoughts. Ma becomes so besotted he cooks, washes and tends the
finger nails for the LCS in a “voluntary domestication”. The LCS calls this “girlish stuff” but seems to go along with it. In a
pathetic fantasy dream Ma sees himself attacked by some of the LCSʼs suitors, with the “mountain girl” arriving to save him
“weeping profusely” then untying him before sexually satisfying him. This is a classic sexual fantasy which reinforces his
representation of the LCS as sex object, not appreciating her full character, her physical strength, her independence, seeing
her only through his eyes.

The LCS announces her pregnancy and with the help of Ma finds an abortionist: 147-160

Understandably, the LCS is deeply upset at her pregnancy and says: “My father will kill me when he finds out”. Her previous
toughness is noted by Ma when he says: “I was more aghast at the unexpected show of emotion than at the news she had
confided in me, for it was not like her to break down and cry”. Ma considers all the options but comes up with the only
solution” an abortion “to save the couple from disgrace in the eyes of the people as well as from political and administrative
punishment”.

(162-163) Post abortion

The abortion was successful – the LCS after the ordeal is “perched on a …bed…putting her clothes on with the help of a
nurse …her relief was evident”. “Indeed, it could not have been greater if she had been facing life imprisonment and had just
been found not guilty”.

Her physical toughness is evident when “insisted that there was no need for her to rest at the inn before we set out for home”.
She wants to visit the graveyard of the preacher who organized the abortion, to offer thanks. She makes a vow with Ma to
return “to erect a handsome, colourful monument to his memory”. This shows her respect for the dead, something shown
before in her visiting her fatherʼs grave. Indicates her adherence to Buddhism in the face of the Cultural revolutionʼs ban on
religion. She is a religious person. This reinforces her desire to “visit the Buddhist temple to throw a few notes over the fence,
in gratitude for the mercy shown by the heavenly powers”.

The LCS shows her clear independence and power by leaving Phoenix Mountain for the city: 166 -172 Luo returns
but the LCS leaves suddenly - clues in her change of clothes – bra etc

Luo and Ma claim to have not expected the departure of the LCS but it has been suggested right the way through: “we spent
a long time searching our traumatized memories for any hints she may have given of the calamity that was to befall us. In the
end we came up with several tell-tale signs, which were for the most part connected with her wardrobe”. She makes a bra,
then starts speaking like a “city girl” using the boysʼ accent (suggests the actress coming out). She remodels the blue Mao
jacket to be like a city womanʼs (“mannish”), wears white tennis shoes, cuts her hair in a short bob “very becoming and
modern-looking” which “delighted” Luo because of the “transformation”. All makes her look, according to Ma “stylish and
sensual …the lovely, unsophisticated mountain girl had vanished without trace”. Luo believes it is all his doing: “Luo was filled
with the happiness of an artist contemplating his finished creation”. He claims: “all that time we spent reading to her has
certainly paid off …this metamorphosis, this feat of Balzacian re-education…we were too wrapped up in ourselves to notice
the warning signals …did we overestimate the power of love?”

The LCS leaves to “change her life and try her chances in the city”, not telling the boys. She is dismissed by her father saying:
“donʼt ever come back”. Shows her strength of purpose, knowing what she is giving up. Haunted by the dream of the LCS
injured at the bottom of the ridge, Ma goes off with Luo to find her. Does he underestimate her physical skills at crossing the
mountain? They find her at the ancestral graveyard, bidding farewell to her ancestors.

Luo does not argue with her, and Ma feels “betrayed” because he is not told seemingly deserving more because of the
“complicity” over the abortion. Ma refers to Luo and the LCS as “statues” they donʼt talk. When Ma offers her a potato she
“took off like a bird”. Her departing words to Luo were that “she had learnt one thing from Balzac: that a womanʼs beauty is a
treasure beyond price”. This shows that she did not need the boys anymore and has her own sense of confidence and power
to take on the city life. It is a clear show of strength and independence, albeit with a hint that she will use her beauty in a
series of relationships with men and take advantage of them.

Summary -The LCS

•$ Independent
•$ Fun-loving, natural, wild
•$ Enjoys her sexuality
•$ Beautiful – gradually becomes aware of her power over men
•$ A fast learner both physically and intellectually
•$ Has her own sense of aesthetic, taste – wants a life in the city
• Not just a mountain girl
• Develops a love of literature
• Physically and emotionally strong and mentally tough

Four Eyeʼs Mother

-$ well-known poetess
-$ royalty, queen. Contrast with tailor
-$ sense of self-preservation => corruption
-$ protective of four-eyes
-$ suspicious of boys, not invited to leaving bash
-$ connected with civilization
-$ arrogant, does not accept Ma until he talks in city accent
-$ Ma respects her a lot at the beginning

Quotes:
“the undisputed star”
“her handiwork elicited cries of admiration all around”
“Books? Certainly not” she said coldly
“displaying an almost superhuman serenity”
“elegant and undoubtly rich”

The Narrator
Personality and Characteristics:
-$ son of enemies of the people
-$ imaginative, creative
-$ more physically adept than Luo
-$ understands seamstress more
-$ develops as a character and becomes more audacious
-$ HAS AN INNER CONFLICT secretly adores the seamstress, has sexual and emotional desire for her, but is
very loyal to Luo, this prevents him from taking action. Instead he has fantasies about seamstress
-$ thinks that Luo takes seamstress for granted
-$ reeducation has negative impact on Ma => sadistic, revenge, hatred
-$ develops and becomes a better reader than Luo, is more interesting and spontaneous, improvises, takes
liberties. Surpasses Luo
-$ respects women a lot
-$ compassionate and emotional
-$ feels emotionally betrayed by seamstress

“company of doctors and curates” Maʼs social world

“a stab of jealousy”
“a bitter wrenching emotion I had never felt before”
“feeling a sneaky ray of hope”
“I felt as if it were my child that she was carrying”
“she was my soul mate”
“ready to spend the rest of my life taking care of her”
“somnambulate” Ma is homesick

“stirrings of an uncontrollably sadistic impulse” “miseries of re-education” “hatred smoldering in my eyes” “I had
turned into a sadist – an out-and-out sadist”

“beloved commander” “at the head of a routed army, charged with escorting the young wife..” “armed with pistol
and machine gun” “undercover agent”

“contributes little inventions” “whole scenes from other novels” “a personal touch”
“My nameʼs Luo”
“sense of courtesy and respect for womanhood” “voluntary domestication” “intimate access to the female realm”
“so enraged, so utterly stunned” “she allowed me to take her fingers..”