48 pages • 1 hour read
Dai Sijie, Transl. Ina RilkeBalzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2000A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Red-Beaked Ravens
The red-beaked raven is a recurring motif associated with the looming end of the relationship between Luo and the Little Seamstress. The bird is an ominous portent that foreshadows their separation. The bird observes Luo and the Narrator’s dangerous passage over the narrow ridge leading to the Little Seamstress’s village. The Narrator likens the pass to “purgatory,” and has nightmares about the Little Seamstress falling to her death there; the presence of a carrion bird emphasizes the nearness of loss and suffering and the ultimate futility of their attempts to reach her.
A flock of the same birds takes flight around the Little Seamstress as she dives into the pool under the Old Miller’s gaze. The birds represent her liberation and flight from the mountain, especially given that she is moved to dive by exposure to the same books that later empower her to leave. However, the birds’ “foul” smell and aggressive behavior toward the Old Miller symbolize the negative emotions associated with her leaving from the perspective of Luo and the Narrator.
Luo’s Alarm Clock
Luo’s alarm clock is the first timepiece ever seen in the mountain village, and is a symbol of modernity and technological advancement. The alarm clock is revered by the villagers, showing the inevitability and appeal of technology. Their preference for the clock over the traditional timekeeping method of watching the sun undermines the Cultural Revolution’s idolization of the simple peasant’s way of life.
The clock also becomes a source of power for the boys as they change its time, allowing them some autonomy over their working hours. The village Headman’s fascination with the clock illustrates that he enforces the values of the Cultural Revolution to bolster his own power, and not because he believes in the movement’s values.
Medicine
Medicine is an important motif in the text, illustrating the gaps between the urban and rural worlds in mid-century China. When Luo falls ill with malaria, he has no access to modern medical treatment and must instead rely on traditional folk remedies. These treatments include whipping, a poultice applied to his wrist, and the vigil of the old sorceresses. They symbolize traditional superstitions and beliefs which must be relied upon in the absence of modern resources. The Narrator acknowledges that such wisdom cannot be wholly dismissed, and Luo does eventually recover. However, the fact that the Narrator is forced to rely on such methods, and is unable to provide medical care despite the fact his parents are doctors, symbolizes the damage wrought by the Cultural Revolution both in terms of intergenerational connection and standards of living.
Medicine appears again when the Narrator has to seek a doctor to perform an abortion on the Little Seamstress. He is struck by the difference between the rural hospital he visits and the fancier hospitals his parents used to work in. The lack of supplies and the difficulties in accessing care once more reflect the special challenges of rural life at this time.
