A very important character in The Little Chinese Seamstress, the doctor played a very significant role regarding Luo’s life and also the seamstress’s. Luo and the seamstress’s relationship was very strong and close to the point where the seamstress was pregnant. This news led all three people to think what is the best choice in the situation that they are in. The decision was made between Ma his very close friend and the seamstress.
The doctor did perform the abortion of the Luo and the seamstress’s baby. The decision to have the abortion was made when Luo was gone, away from the seamstress. The doctor needed an explanation for the abortion because the doctor had high standards and just didn’t want to do an abortion for no reason. This event helps Ma get closer to the seamstress which is his love. However, after the process, he is unsuccessful in stealing her from Luo. When Luo comes back from his vacation to visit his sick father and he found that the seamstress has left the city, not needing Luo in her life anymore. Not only did she leave Luo, but also left Ma which should not have happened because she was his love that he watched getting played out between her and Luo.
Marriage laws in China forbid anyone from getting married before twenty five and also, an abortion is illegal in China without a marriage certificate. The abortion that the seamstress got was a secret one not known by anyone else or else she would have gotten in trouble and had to convince the doctor to do one by saying that he is saving her life and that she will love him forever. The seamstress would have faced prosecution from Mao Zedong and the Chinese government if the abortion was known.
Monday, September 27, 2010
The Selfish Leader
The Headman in the Little Chinese Seamstress played a very important role in the community, but especially to Ma and Luo. The headman was in charge of the village and he is in charge of sending them for re-education far away from their normal homes and cities. His ultimate boss is Mao Zedong, who is Chinas leader and came up with the plan and idea to re-educate Chinese young children for a new China. However, the headman of Ma and Luo’s village enforces it. Mao’s red guards also enforced his plan along with the headman in each village.
The headman is very arrogant person and mean, he doesn’t care what Ma or Luo think of Mao’s plan or his decision to send them to the country side for re-education. The headman doesn’t seem to realize what the re-education consists of and could care less about what will happen to them if he sends them there. At one point, the headman even blackmailed Luo to fix his teeth so that he wouldn’t send Ma to jail which just shows his real character and sneaky personality.
This relates to when Mao came up with the plan and although it was for the better, he really didn’t take in consideration how much work and mental pain the kids would have to go through sending them away from their home or town for an extended amount of time to be re-educated. He brought reform out west to increase his political power and capture more of the western side of china. Blackmail was common, and strict crimes were taken very seriously in Ma and Luos society, but the leaders of each town were very strict and didn’t care much of what people thought since it was a hard place to be in a Chinese reforming government.
The headman is very arrogant person and mean, he doesn’t care what Ma or Luo think of Mao’s plan or his decision to send them to the country side for re-education. The headman doesn’t seem to realize what the re-education consists of and could care less about what will happen to them if he sends them there. At one point, the headman even blackmailed Luo to fix his teeth so that he wouldn’t send Ma to jail which just shows his real character and sneaky personality.
This relates to when Mao came up with the plan and although it was for the better, he really didn’t take in consideration how much work and mental pain the kids would have to go through sending them away from their home or town for an extended amount of time to be re-educated. He brought reform out west to increase his political power and capture more of the western side of china. Blackmail was common, and strict crimes were taken very seriously in Ma and Luos society, but the leaders of each town were very strict and didn’t care much of what people thought since it was a hard place to be in a Chinese reforming government.
A Life Changing Leader
Mao Zedong, was a son of a peasant farmer and born in 1893. He served in the army as a young kid and also worked at a library as a young child following his fathers footsteps of being a rich person in society through hard work. Mao Zedong rose to power in China in the thirties and stressed the importance of leadership in the peasant movement that he directed.
In 1928 Mao led the fourth red army for the peasant movement and also wanted to unify China and oppose the Japanese aggression by using his Communism government. Mao wanted to focus his revolution in the weak areas of china and also the uncommon ones, rural places would be in western china and the rural countryside. Mao wanted to focus on literature because he saw that as the primary goal in a revolution and his experience with reading and learning was important to him and thought that knowledge/education is power. Mao’s father showed him that his transition from poor to rich was through hard work and Mao learned that first hand. In 1958 Mao started the Great Leap forward to increase Chinas production and agriculture. It involved 75,000 people and had a lot of factories running to help it. Mao also worked on trading routes and relationships with exports. This lasted until 1962 when he had to create a new plan for reformation and revolution.
Mao lived a very simple life as a leader, which is somewhat uncommon. Mao, owning broken items, worked late overtimes, and owned very little items in his name. Mao’s son was killed in the Korean war and Mao’s other son wrote about the death. Mao was a very good leader, widely respected by others and helped his people change for the better, although some people do not agree.
Jin Ping Mei
The Chinese novel Jin Ping Mei by Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng has been a very popular read. The title translated into English is “The Plum in the Golden Vase.” The book has been so popular that many consider it to be the fifth classical novel (after the Four Great Classical Novels: A Dream of Red Mansions, Journey to the West, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Water Margin.) It is about the downfall of the Ximen household. The story takes place in the years 1111-1127. The main character is Ximien Quing, who is wealthy and corrupt. He has many wives, some of which he married because he murdered their husbands. This novel is very similar to Water Margin, since they are both about Ximen Quing. Also, the first chapter is based on a chapter in Water Margin.
The popular novel brought much controversy due to the explicit material. Many considered the novel to be pornographic material. The novel has been banned in many areas. The detailed scenes involving sexuality are inappropriate for many people. These explicit scenes included sexual euphemisms. Jin Ping Mei also involves issues like the ancient Chinese role of women and sexual politics. These topics seemed to cross the boundaries of literature for many people.
Although Jin Ping Mei brought an extreme amount of controversy in Chinese society, it set a precedent for other Chinese authors. More Chinese authors after that would include descriptive sexual scenes and mention issues in Chinese civilization. Most authors were afraid to do that before, but now the example has been set, and novels are becoming more descriptive and truthful. Authors can now put their true voice behind the words of their work.
The popular novel brought much controversy due to the explicit material. Many considered the novel to be pornographic material. The novel has been banned in many areas. The detailed scenes involving sexuality are inappropriate for many people. These explicit scenes included sexual euphemisms. Jin Ping Mei also involves issues like the ancient Chinese role of women and sexual politics. These topics seemed to cross the boundaries of literature for many people.
Although Jin Ping Mei brought an extreme amount of controversy in Chinese society, it set a precedent for other Chinese authors. More Chinese authors after that would include descriptive sexual scenes and mention issues in Chinese civilization. Most authors were afraid to do that before, but now the example has been set, and novels are becoming more descriptive and truthful. Authors can now put their true voice behind the words of their work.
Four-eyes
Luo and Ma met Four Eyes because he was stationed at another site for the re-education. They immediately connected with him because they were all in the same situation. The three boys felt very close with each other and they became good friends. Four Eyes was the son of a writer and his mother was a poet. However, he was not as intelligent as one would think.
The boys wanted to be friends with Four Eyes even more because he had smuggled in a suitcase full of books to his reeducation site. He had many novels from Western society that had been banned or destroyed by the Red Guard. Luo and Ma stole the books from Four Eyes and read the stories to the Little Chinese Seamstress so she could learn about cultures other than her own.
Four Eyes told his mother that the only reason he was friends with Luo was because he was the son of a dentist. Four Eyes thought that if he became good enough friends with Luo, Luo’s father could give him and his family reduced price on dental work. This shows Four Eyes’ true character. He is very materialistic and does not really care about true friendship. All he looks for in a friendship is what he can get out of it that will be beneficial for himself and his family. Four Eyes is not a true friend, unlike Luo and Ma who are just trying to have a good relationship with Four Eyes.
The boys wanted to be friends with Four Eyes even more because he had smuggled in a suitcase full of books to his reeducation site. He had many novels from Western society that had been banned or destroyed by the Red Guard. Luo and Ma stole the books from Four Eyes and read the stories to the Little Chinese Seamstress so she could learn about cultures other than her own.
Four Eyes told his mother that the only reason he was friends with Luo was because he was the son of a dentist. Four Eyes thought that if he became good enough friends with Luo, Luo’s father could give him and his family reduced price on dental work. This shows Four Eyes’ true character. He is very materialistic and does not really care about true friendship. All he looks for in a friendship is what he can get out of it that will be beneficial for himself and his family. Four Eyes is not a true friend, unlike Luo and Ma who are just trying to have a good relationship with Four Eyes.
The Mother of Four-eyes
Four Eyes’ mother was a poetess, which influenced Four Eyes’ love for literature. She also affected Four Eyes extremely when she took him away from his reeducation site. She thought that Four Eyes was too smart to be at the site. She felt that there was no reason for him to be there. She convinces the government to let Four Eyes go, because she is a poetess so she has a good amount of power.
When Four Eyes left the reeducation site, this was a loss for Luo and Ma because Four Eyes was a good friend of theirs. Also, when he left, his books were left behind with the two friends. They eventually used these to read to the Little Chinese Seamstress so she could learn about other cultures. If Four Eyes had not been taken home by his mother, the boys would not have possessed all of the books.
Four Eyes’ mother also affected the characteristics of Four Eyes. She raised him as a child, so his selfishness and materialistic ways can be held responsible by her. Four Eyes’ personality is very much reflected by his mother. She is very stuck up and arrogant when she convinces the government to remove her son from his reeducation site. She thinks her son is better than everyone else and that he does not need reeducation.
When Four Eyes left the reeducation site, this was a loss for Luo and Ma because Four Eyes was a good friend of theirs. Also, when he left, his books were left behind with the two friends. They eventually used these to read to the Little Chinese Seamstress so she could learn about other cultures. If Four Eyes had not been taken home by his mother, the boys would not have possessed all of the books.
Four Eyes’ mother also affected the characteristics of Four Eyes. She raised him as a child, so his selfishness and materialistic ways can be held responsible by her. Four Eyes’ personality is very much reflected by his mother. She is very stuck up and arrogant when she convinces the government to remove her son from his reeducation site. She thinks her son is better than everyone else and that he does not need reeducation.
The Little Seamstress
In the story Balzac and the Little Chinese seamstress, one of the main prevelant characters in the story was in fact the Little Seamstress. She had a big impact on both of the main characters/ narrator. Both boys had feelings for her and were willing to do anything to help her. Both boy’s, now educated had the knowledge and ability to see that the little seamstress was uneducated. They not only saw this but now had the ability to assure that she becomes educated. They knew that uneducated her future was bleak but with their help and a subpar education in a very uneducated area she would be able to shine like no other. Little did they know she would leave them at the end of the story.
One of the main parts of this story is when Lou impregnates the little seamstress; due to the fact that Lou and the little seamstress were not married it was illegal for this to happen. Without Lou’s consent the narrator takes the little Chinese seamstress to get an abortion. While this was occurring Lou was away for a month due to the fact that his mother was ill. They decide to not tell Lou that the seamstress is pregnant I assume to prevent him from worrying. When the narrator takes The Seamstress for the abortion they are informed that the abortion is an illegal procedure because due to the fact that it’s illegal for her to be pregnant in the first place. At first the narrator try’s lying the Doctor to get the abortion to go through the narrator says that it was his sister but sadly the doctor knew the family, which is also the reason he was doing it and catches the narrator in the lie. He then tells the Doctor that it is his girlfriend and that he desperately needs the abortion to take place. He gives the doctor one of the western books that he stole from Four Eyes that were banned by the government, in exchange for the abortion. I feel that if Lou was responsible they never would have been put into this situation but because he wasn’t it would have been in the best interest of everyone if they had told him of his mistake and had him help solve the issue.
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