Open your mind. Close your mouth.
Old Storyteller’s Stomach
Thesis statement: Sijie uses the symbol of the old storyteller’s stomach to convey the vulnerability and openness of the storyteller. He only sang for Luo and the narrator because they showed him that they were open-minded.
Quotes
- “Our attention was immediately drawn to the contortions of his stomach, the sight of which was so extraordinary as to obliterate his voice, the tune and everything else from our consciousness. Being so thin, he didn’t actually have a stomach at all, just wrinkled skin forming innumerable tiny folds on his abdomen. When he began to sing the wrinkles billowed out, forming little waves that rippled across his tanned and gleaming body.” (p. 73)
- “We held our sides laughing. We tried to control ourselves, of course, but the giggles inside us mounted and mounted until we exploded. The old miller smiled, too, and went on signing while the skin eddied across his stomach. Luo and I rolled over the ground in a paroxysm of hilarity.”(74)
Lice
Quotes
- “Methodically he stripped off his shirt, vest, trousers and socks, and plunged them in the boiling water. His thin bony body was dotted all over with angry red bumps, and the skin was broken and bleeding and covered in scratch marks” (63).
- “”D’you know what he takes with his liquor? Pebbles! I swear it’s true… He dips them in salty water, puts them in his mouth.. and spits them out… He offered some to me, but I declined. I didn’t realise I’d be hurting his feelings…. he clammed up completely… and I spent the night in his bed”... It was not hard to imagine… the bug infested bed upon which Four Eyes lay, fighting to stay awake in case the old man happened to sing.” (p. 64-65)
Thesis statement: Sijie uses the symbol of lice to express the punishment inflicted upon Four Eyes for being close-minded and rude. When Four Eyes refused the “jade dumplings”, the storyteller deemed him as unworthy of hearing the song. If Four Eyes had not been so close-minded, he would not have needed to stay at the storyteller’s home and be subject to the merciless lice.
I like how you connected the lice to Four-Eyes' stubbornness and erratic behaviors that demonstrate that his personality is ultimately self-destructive.
ReplyDeleteI think the symbols you chose to write about were really unique and interesting, I like how your thesis connected those symbols to show how Four-Eyes is ignorant and close minded, you summed it up really nicely.
ReplyDeleteThe symbols used really describe a greater understanding of the reading, and the connections made to other parts of the book are quite meaningful.
ReplyDeleteInteresting choice to interpret the lice as a punishment, good job.
ReplyDelete