Balac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Reading Questions(2)

P. 21-41

Vocabulary-Synonym-Antonym
Prudent-cautious-careless
Pitiless-merciless-kind
Capricious-unpredictable-firm
Precarious-insecure-certain
Anthracite-the type of the coal-cannot be found
Livid-angry-delighted
Poultice-poultice-cannot be found

10. What details from the text suggest that the Chinese Seamstress is different form other people on the mountain?
The Chinese Seamstress is different from other people on the mountain because she wears shoes whereas the village people are barefoot. The author describes her as fine feet and ankles which show that maybe she does not do hard labor whereas the other villagers do. Also, the author describes her as wearing new clothing such as her white nylon socks and her hair tied with a brand new red silk ribbon which is in contrast to the clothing of the other villagers.
11. When the narrator asked Luo whether he has fallen in love with the Chinese Seamstress, Luo sternly report that “She’s not civilize, at least not enough for me.” What does this tell us bout Luo, his background, and his outlook on life?
Luo thinks that he is more civilized than her because he is from the city whereas she is from the country. He also has a higher education level than her. Moreover on page 25, Luo mentions that the mountain people were mostly illiterate. Luo asks her if she could read and she answers not much. From what I have read Luo seems to have a more modern outlook on life.
12. How is the time the boys spent in the copper mines symbolic of their education?
The coal mines were the symbolic of their reeducation because the coal mines were collectively owned by every body and were exploited to meet the local demand for fuel. So the boys were put through hard labor for the collective which is like the communist idea.
13.Why is the narrator convinced that it is Luo crying in the tunnel? What type of crying is Luo doing?
The narrator was convinced that it was Luo crying because Luo had told him before that he was going to die in this mine. Luo was crying like someone who was weeping with passionate abandonment.
14. When Luo falls sick with malaria he is revived by the affections of the Little Seamstress. Explain the 3 ways that she helps him through his sickness.
The seamstress first made medicine from a plant called “broken bowl shards.” Secondly, she invited sorceresses to come and keep vigil. Thirdly, she asked to perform a film to wake up Luo.
15. The story of The Little Flower Seller appears in the text several times as does the line, “A sincere heart can make even a stone blossom.” So tell me, was the flower girl’s heart lacking in sincerity? What meaning do you make out of these lines?
The sincere heart is the girl who went to extreme lengths to save her mom which is symbolized by the stone blossom. However, in the end, her mother still dies. The question is asking of the girl if did do enough or not.