Who is the old Miller in Balzac?

The Miller is an old man who lives alone and is a repository of local folk songs. The Miller narrates one part of the novel and provides songs to the boys, who then relate them to Four-Eyes. He is one of the characters who chooses not to be involved with the revolution.

What are Luo and the seamstress doing when the Miller sees them?

He also saw the red-beaked ravens, which seemed disturbed. The miller went to see what disturbed the birds and came upon the “interpreter” (Luo) and the Little Seamstress having sex in the deep part of the natural pool.

Who is four eyes in Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress?

Four-Eyes is another young man undergoing re-education in a village on Phoenix of the Sky. He’s the only one on the mountain who wears glasses, and he lives in constant fear that the peasants will never release him from the mountain to the life he loved at home.

How does Luo change in Balzac?

By reading Balzac to her, Luo intends to make the Little Seamstress cultured enough to be worthy of his affections, but his education has an unintended effect: she gains the confidence and vision to leave the mountain for good by herself. Distraught, Luo burns the beloved novels in an emotional and drunken frenzy.

Why does Four-Eyes object to the authentic mountain songs Luo and the narrator bring back from the old Miller?

Dressed as revolutionary officials from Beijing, they visit the miller and collect songs. However, when they return, Four-Eyes is angry that the songs are too lewd to print. He decides to adapt them to revolutionary purposes, which offends the narrator, who then attacks Four-Eyes.

What are Four-Eyes parents profession?

His parents are writers, and he shares their dream that he becomes a writer as well.

What fear does Luo face at the Little Seamstress?

terrified of heights
The narrator explains that Luo is terrified of heights and he relates a childhood experience in which Luo was too scared to climb a water tower. The fact that Luo is willing to face his fears to see the Little Seamstress shows how much he cares, both about her and his project of civilizing her.

What is the style of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress?

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is notable for its size. Publishers Weekly stated that Balzac was a “slim first novel”, and Brooke Allen at The New York Times Book Review called the narrative “streamlined”. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is written in a characteristic style.

What is the plot of the Little Chinese Seamstress?

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Summary. In 1971, during China’s Cultural Revolution, two teenagers, an unnamed narrator and his friend Luo, are sent from their hometown of Chengdu to a mountain village to be ‘re-educated.’.

What does this fellow Balzac imply about his attitude towards Balzac?

His reference to “this fellow Balzac” implies that he considers Balzac a peer, almost an equal. Such an attitude is reinforced by his perception of himself as superior to the uncivilized peasants. He also downplays the Seamstress’s appreciation of Balzac, describing her as “carried away in a dream.”

Why was little Chinese Seamstress banned?

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Study Guide. The novel received positive reviews, and sold well in Europe and North America. Although it sold 40,000 to 50,000 copies in China, it was not considered a success there. It was ultimately banned in China after officials complained about its portrayal of re-education and the Cultural Revolution.