Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie Essay -- Balzac

Balzac and the lilliputian Chinese Seamstress by Dai SijieThroughout his novel Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Dai Sijie illustrates the powerful influence that books have on their readers. Through his narrative, he establishes his billet on the controversial issue of whether or not storytelling is good. He combines measureless events and thumbings to create a novel that demonstrates the good of storytelling and the iniquity of book inhibition and burning. In the end, Sijie portrays storytelling as a means of good entertainment, enlightening carry out and positive encouragement. First and foremost, Sijie displays storytelling as a means for entertainment, and in turn, as something good. He portrays Luo as an incredible storyteller. His creativity and ability to capture his consultation sets him apart from the other boys on the mass. The narrator describes the amazing effect that Luos film reenactments have on the village people. The headman is so ple ase that he gives Luo and the narrator the opportunity to view more films so that Luo butt joint reproduce the stories developed in the films to both him and the other villagers (18-20). The headmans fascination with these films portrays storytellings ability to entertain. While some readers may feel that entertainment is not necessarily a positive thing as it gives people new and possibly dangerous thoughts and ideas, Luos storytelling allows the people of the mountain village to escape the caged reality in which they live. These people use the stories to bear the excitement and happiness that is absent from their lives. In this way, Sijie establishes storytelling as a represent of positive entertainment. Through his own story, Sijie proves to the reade... ...dness found in all stories.As he follows the lives of three different characters and their experiences with stories, Sijie proves that storytelling plays an important positive role in the lives of many, if not all, pe ople. Through his portrayal of storytelling as a channel of entertainment, enlightenment, and hope, he advocates the goodness of books. By leaving his audience with a sense of wonder, he makes concrete the effect that stories have on the lives of all people as striving intellectual individuals. Works CitedPlato. The Allegory of the Cave. The Arlington Reader Canons and Contexts. Ed. Lynn Z. Bloom and Louise Z. Smith. capital of Massachusetts Bedford, 2003. 723-26.Sanders, Scott Russell. The Force of Spirit. Boston Beacon Press, 2000.Sijie, Dai. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. Trans. Ina Rilke. New York Anchor-Random, 2002.