Mao believed that the Cultural Revolution was necessary to purge China of the “four olds”: old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits.
During the Cultural Revolution, millions of people were persecuted, imprisoned, or killed. Many people were also sent to labor camps or to remote villages for “re-education.”
The Forbidden Books
The books that the boys read in Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress were all banned during the Cultural Revolution. These books included works by Western authors such as Balzac, Hugo, and Dumas.
The boys were fascinated by these books, and they found them to be a source of great comfort and inspiration. The books helped the boys to understand the world outside of China, and they also helped the boys to dream of a better future.
The Little Seamstress
The Little Seamstress is a complex and sympathetic character. She is beautiful, intelligent, and kind. She is also brave and resourceful.
The Little Seamstress is a victim of the Cultural Revolution, but she never gives up hope. She is determined to learn and to grow, and she is always looking for ways to help others.
The End of the Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution ended in 1976 with the death of Mao Zedong. The end of the Cultural Revolution was a time of great hope for China. People were eager to rebuild their lives and to create a new future for their country.
The Legacy of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is a powerful and moving novel. It is a story about the power of love, the importance of literature, and the resilience of the human spirit.
The novel has been translated into over 30 languages, and it has been adapted into a film and a play. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is a classic of Chinese literature, and it is a story that continues to be read and enjoyed by people all over the world.
The Plot
The novel is narrated by an unnamed character who is a talented violinist. He and his best friend Luo, a gifted storyteller, are considered intellectuals by the government because their parents are doctors. They are sent to Phoenix of the Sky, a rural mountain near Tibet, to work in the coal mines and the rice fields and learn from the poor peasants.
