Summary Of Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress

In Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Sijie symbolizes the repression of unique ideas and culture in The Cultural Revolution through Four Eyes’ manipulation of the millers’ songs. In his desperation to escape reeducation, Four Eyes strips the traditional ballads of their substance in favor of government propaganda. When the character of Four Eyes is first introduced, he is written as being, while not particularly benevolent, meek and appeasing. The narrator describes him as “liv[ing] in perpetual fear,” “anxious,” and “dejected.” This is in stark contrast to the way he acts after hearing the millers’ songs, when he has an angry outburst and had a “scolding, schoolmasterly tone.” The hope of escaping his current condition changes his character and allows him to assert himself, a point the narrator makes, stating “A few days ago it would have been unthinkable for him to snap at us like this.” The change in Four Eyes mirrors how emboldened Mao’s regime feels at the prospect of change; they, like him, become almost tyrannical figures once they gain a sense of superiority. Four Eyes uses the songs as a tool to escape his unpleasant situation rather than appreciating their actual value; at
This change represents the erasing of Chinese culture and intellect during The Cultural Revolution. In the end, the transformation benefits only Four Eyes; similarly, only a select few profit from the revolution. Four Eyes’ “editing” of the miller’s songs illustrates how the color of individual heritage is washed out by the gray of government ideals during this