The boys soon discover a hidden stash of forbidden Western books in the possession of Four-Eyes, another re-educated youth who is the son of a poet. They manage to borrow one of the books, Ursule Mirouët by Honoré de Balzac, and are captivated by its story. They decide to share it with the Little Seamstress, the daughter of the local tailor and the most beautiful girl in the region.
Luo falls in love with the Little Seamstress and tries to educate her with the books they steal from Four-Eyes. The narrator also develops feelings for her but keeps them to himself. The boys introduce her to a new world of literature and imagination that changes her life.
However, their idyllic romance is threatened by the harsh realities of the Cultural Revolution. The boys face dangers from the authorities, the villagers, and nature. The Little Seamstress becomes pregnant with Luo’s child and has to undergo a secret abortion. She also realizes that she wants more than what the mountain can offer her. She decides to leave the village and pursue her dreams in the city.
The novel ends with Luo burning all the books they have read as a farewell gesture to the Little Seamstress. The narrator returns to Chengdu and learns that she has become a successful tailor in Shenzhen. He also finds out that she has written a book about her life on the mountain, titled Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress.
The Themes
One of the main themes of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is education, re-education, and the Cultural Revolution. The novel depicts how Mao Zedong’s campaign to eradicate bourgeois influences and promote communist ideology affected millions of young people who were forced to leave their homes and undergo re-education by working in rural areas. The novel shows how this policy was oppressive, cruel, and ineffective.
Another theme is coming of age. The novel portrays how Luo, the narrator, and the Little Seamstress grow up and mature through their experiences on the mountain. They learn about love, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, courage, sacrifice, and freedom. They also discover their own identities and aspirations.
