48 pages • 1-hour read
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
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Themes
The Transformative Influence of Literature
The narrative explores the transformative influence of literature through the effects that the forbidden Western books have on the characters who discover them. As the Narrator, Luo, and the Little Seamstress enjoy forbidden books in secret, they undergo a coming-of-age journey shaped in part by their reading.
Prior to acquiring Four-Eyes’s stash, neither Luo, the Narrator, nor the Little Seamstress have been exposed to literature. Consequently, much of the character development they undergo is due to the influence of the books. The stories affect Luo and the Narrator by opening their minds to a world of ideas previously denied to them through censorship and a lack of education. They become resentful of those who deprived them of literature, whereas they formerly did not have the means to understand what they were missing out on. Through Jean-Christophe in particular, the Narrator develops a sense of personal identity evidenced by his newfound desire to own the book himself, rather than sharing everything with Luo. Through exposure to literature, the Narrator develops his storytelling abilities, surpassing Luo and nurturing a sense of self-preservation and a desire to stand up as an individual.
Luo is less obviously transformed than the Narrator, as he is more focused on using the books to mold the Little Seamstress into a more sophisticated and educated partner for himself. However, his reading of the books with the Little Seamstress facilitates his romantic and sexual awakening with her, as their reading develops alongside their love affair. While Luo is pleased to see the effects their reading has on the Little Seamstress’s sensibilities, he does not realize that he cannot fully control how she responds to the books and their ideas. His frenzied burning of the books once she leaves him reflects his painful realization that he cannot control others as easily as he assumed, bringing an abrupt end to his naïve adolescent self-assuredness.
Of the trio, the Little Seamstress is the one most deeply affected by the books, as she uses what she learns to transform herself into the epitome of a modern city girl. Her change in appearance is the most visceral and obvious illustration of the transformative influence of literature, reflecting her desire to take control of her destiny. The books awaken in her the desire to leave her life in the mountains to seek her fortune in the city, and she explicitly attributes her flight from the mountain to the influence of Balzac’s ideas. In this way, literature also transforms her relationship with Luo by reversing the traditional patriarchal and class-based power dynamics between them, empowering her to leave him behind and live life on her own terms instead.
Loyalty and Trust in Love and Friendship
The relationships of love and friendship between the three main characters form the core of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. Dai illustrates the importance of loyalty and trust through the Narrator’s connections with other characters, and through the Narrator’s own growing understanding of the key role that both characteristics play in his relationships.
Luo and the Narrator trust each other implicitly and are unfailingly loyal to each other despite Luo’s occasional selfishness. They turn to one another for solace as they struggle to adjust to their re-education experience, with Luo lying to save the Narrator’s violin and the Narrator caring for Luo when he falls ill. Luo is even ready to accompany the Narrator to prison and torture when faced with the village Headman’s threats of arrest, and performs the dental operation to save him. Luo requests that the Narrator defend the Little Seamstress from rival suitors during his absence, trusting him unconditionally. The Narrator honors this trust with unflinching loyalty despite his own desire for the Little Seamstress. He conquers his fear of the narrow pass between their villages and fantasizes about himself as a figure of Chinese legend: the archetype of a loyal friend accompanying his commander’s wife through peril and privation, regardless of the toll on himself.
As a consequence of their mutual loyalty and trust, the friendship between Luo and the Narrator remains strong and true throughout the entire course of the novel. In contrast, their friendship with Four-Eyes sours into enmity after the latter shows a complete lack of trust by refusing to share his forbidden novels with them, even after his stash is discovered. Four-Eyes is disloyal, becoming unfriendly toward Luo and the Narrator as soon as he learns he can leave the mountain and no longer needs their companionship. In return, the Narrator and Luo have no qualms about betraying him and stealing his books.
The relationship between the boys and the Little Seamstress is more complex and ambiguous. There is a level of trust in the fact that Luo and the Narrator share their illicit schemes and illegal literary pursuits with her, and the Little Seamstress shows trust in the Narrator by confiding in him about her pregnancy. However, Luo does not trust her to remain loyal to him during his absence, and she does not trust them with her plans to leave the mountain. The Narrator’s resentment toward the Little Seamstress for the perceived betrayal reinforces the novel’s emphasis that the virtues of loyalty and trust must be reciprocal in relationships if they are to endure.
The Power of Art and Knowledge
Throughout the novel, Dai celebrates both art and knowledge as sources of power. Art and knowledge stand in contrast to censorship and propaganda, with Dai presenting art and knowledge as bringing liberation to those who can access them, especially in the midst of the Cultural Revolution (See: Background).
Even prior to the introduction of Four-Eyes’s books, the ability to tell stories provides Luo and the Narrator with respite and preferential treatment. The Narrator’s ability to play the violin allows him to lift Luo’s spirits with music and gives him hope that he might one day escape a lifetime of toil on the mountain. The tailor’s comfortable lifestyle and superior status on the mountain are due to his artistic abilities and professional knowledge of tailoring. Luo’s storytelling abilities delight the Narrator and the villagers, bringing them solace during their re-education.
Dai contrasts the power of art with the oppression of censorship. A major aim of the Cultural Revolution was to stifle creative expression which criticized or undermined the government. Luo describes how his aunt’s books were destroyed, and Four-Eyes’s mother is prevented from writing poetry as long as the current regime stands. The fact that such censorship was deemed necessary, and is so harshly enforced, is a testament to the power that art has to shape society and culture. Such measures give works of literature additional, material power by increasing their value: The Narrator can exchange books for medical treatment, just as Four-Eyes exchanges one for aid. Four-Eyes’s modification of the Old Miller’s folk songs, and the pro-government adaptation of a Tibetan folk song that the Narrator plays, show how art can also be used to support and bolster the establishment as propaganda.
During this period, illiteracy and lack of education were common among the peasantry, and even young people from the city, such as Luo and the Narrator, were prevented from pursuing an education. Dai shows education as liberating and empowering, granting individuals more autonomy of thought and action. After her exposure to Balzac, the Little Seamstress recognizes her value and liberates herself to seek her fortune in the city. Luo and the Narrator also realize via their reading all that has been kept from them, which expands their worldview and helps them to mature despite their constrained circumstances. Although the boys burn the books in a fit of rage at the novel’s end, the implication is that knowledge cannot be undone: They have already grown and changed in ways that are irreversible.
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