The Little Seamstress

The phrase which goes, “Every cloud has a silver lining” rings true to Dai Sijie message on loss in his book Balzac and the Little Seamstress. Because, while loss is most definitely an unexpected occurrence in one’s life, it also brings an equally unexpected gift - the silver lining. Luo and the narrator are part of the fraction of educated youths forced to the countryside, and they experience the immediate effects of the Cultural Revolution. Not only do they suffer from loss of fine quality in their lives, but also the choice of how to live, where they get to live, and who they get to live with; essentially losing all of their freedom. Because the presence of loss in the Cultural Revolution itself is too vast to be communicated at a grand

The villagers had the pleasure of experiencing the art of storytelling through movie re-enactments; this newfound appreciation is one of many silver linings that turned up as a result of the revolution, and it makes a particularly large impact on the main character. Through the occurrence of resettlement, and Luo’s own gift for storytelling, the narrator himself is exposed to the liberation and creativity storytelling brings. By the end of his re-education, his passion for storytelling (and the Little Seamstress) is evident as he reads Balzac to her, “When I felt good old Balzac was running out of steam I would contribute little inventions of my own, or even insert whole scenes from another novel” (150). These personal embellishments the narrator adds, such as inserting “whole scenes from another novel,” shows the higher level of creativity and his experimentation with literature. If not for the Cultural Revolution, the narrator may not have discovered his passion for literature and would have missed an opportunity. Yet, by throwing two very distinct types of people together, the art of storytelling is used as

However, when a person experiences loss with someone else, it can strengthen their bond, and this is the unexpected gift of a tragic situation. These recurring themes are ones which Dai Sijie utilizes to demonstrate how the nature loss affects relationships. Values depend on person’s perceptions and opinion. The relationship between Four Eyes and the boys was crafted by Dai Sijie as a calculated bargain rather than a wholesome friendship. When Four Eyes and the boys make a bargain, the old miller’s “romantic, realistic” poem for the stash of Four Eye’s books, a fight erupts out of a misunderstanding, to which Four Eyes exclaims, “‘You think I’m exaggerating? You want me to show this to the commune authorities? Your old miller would be accused of spreading erotic material. He might even go to prison”’ (77). It is crucial to understand that Four Eye’s failed friendship with the boys is the outcome of differing expectations. While Luo and the narrator may view the Old Miller’s song as authentic and playful, Four Eyes sees it as “erotic”. Because he classifies this folk song to be suggestive and inappropriate rather than profound, Four Eye panics because he feels he can no longer use this poem as a ticket to leave the country, and therefore his opportunity is lost. One’s perceived values can in turn affect what they value and what they don’t care to lose. Four Eyes is blind to the beauty of literature,