The Tao

It is not something that can be explained
Or searched for
Or achieved
It is something that one simply possesses
Without thinking or doing
It just is
It is the Tao
It has always been there
And will never cease to be there
It just is
It is the Tao
The Tao just is.

Sheepskin Coats and Choices of Your Own

The author uses the symbol of the sheepskin coat to signify the time the narrator felt a desire for literature. When the narrator decided to copy passages of a book onto the inside of his coat, it was the first time he made a decision truly for himself, not under the influence of his family, friends, or even Chairman Mao. To start making your own decisions is to genuinely come of age.

“Picture, if you will, a boy of nineteen, still slumbering in the limbo of adolescence, having heard nothing but revolutionary blather about patriotism, Communism, ideology, and propaganda all his life, falling headlong into a story of awakening desire, passion, impulsive action, love, all of the subjects that had, until then, been hidden from me”(p57).

Once the narrator caught his first glimpse of true literature, he was deeply affected by the new ideas he absorbed from his reading, and it caused an immediate change in the narrator, he felt the need to keep a record somehow, of the messages he learned, and the feelings he was feeling from these words of Balzac:  ”It was the first time in my life that I had felt any desire to copy sentences from a book. … I decided I would write directly onto the inside of my sheepskin coat”(58). The narrator’s decision to copy passages onto the inside of his coat was the first time that he kept something secret, and hidden from society, his community, and even his best friend Luo for the time being. Keeping this for himself was the first time he made a decision for himself: a true marker of his coming of age.

- by: Cassie, Max, Kate, and Amy

Behind the Glasses

Dai Sijie uses Four-Eyes’ glasses to represent fear. Four-Eyes constantly lives fear that his secrets will be discovered, and that he will not be able to escape re-education. His glasses are representative of this fear, as they disguise both his physical defects and his hidden s flaws e

"I was sure, however, that he wouldn't allow this interfere with his work, in case his myopia was taken as a sign of physical deficiency by the revolutionary peasants and they thought he was a slacker. He lived in constant terror of the peasant's opinion, for it would be up to them one day to decide whether he had been properly re-educated, and so, in theory at any rate, his future lay in their hands. In these circumstances even the slightest defect, either political or physical, could be disastrous"(53).

“‘The way you keep your suitcase locked up and hidden away is enough to betray your secret: you’ve got a stash of forbidden books.’ A flicker of panic showed in our short-sighted friend’s eyes, then vanished behind his glasses as he composed his features into a smiling mask.”

老人的肚子

老人的肚子

“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. The band of plaited straw that served as his belt began to undulate too. Every now and then, it disappeared into a roll of skin, but just as seemed lost forever in the tidal flow it re-emerged, dignified and pristine. A magical waistband.” (73)

“The old miller smiled too, and went on singing while the skin eddied across his stomach. Luo and I rolled over the ground in a paroxysm of hilarity.” (74)

Thesis: Sijie uses the symbol of the old miller’s stomach to emphasize the point that part of growing up includes letting go of vanity and other hardships. The old man is wrinkled, small, thin, and he sucks on pebbles and sings crude songs in his spare time, but he is one of the happiest people in the story. Therefore, he has fulfilled his life and made the most of it, which is part of growing up. One cannot truly be an adult until they are free from life’s hardships and desires, which is exactly what the stomach represents.

By Sarah, Izzy, Carissa, Lauren

Breaking Buffalo

"The buffalo was of medium size, but boasted an exceptionally long tail, which swung vigorously from side to side as though determined to splatter its timid, inexperienced master with as much filth as possible. For all his efforts to dodge the relentless lashes, one split second of inattention was enough for Four-Eyes to receive a blow to the face from the buffalo's tail, which sent his spectacles hurtling through the air. " (47)
"The slaughter was disguised by an accident; the perpetrator claimed that the beast had lost its footing on a tight bend and had plunged head first down a cliff...The buffalo was still alive. I will never forget how affected I was by its long drawn-out plaintive bellows." (93)

Sijie uses the symbol of the buffalo to demonstrate the effect of the village has had on Four Eyes, both physically and mentally. To Four Eyes, it represents how poor and inept the village is, and his resistance change. When the buffalo knocks off his glasses, it represents how the village is beginning to change its world view. 

Into the Depths of the Stomach

Into the Depths of the Stomach

“A band of plaited straw that served as his belt began to undulate too. Every now and then it disappeared into a roll of skin, but just as it seemed lost forever in the tidal flow it re-emerged, dignified and pristine. A magical waistband” (73).

In this passage, the belt can be interpreted as hope. Just like the belt, which disappears in the folds of the stomach, hope often leaves but eventually comes back. Even in the countryside, where hope is not to be found, Four-Eyes, Luo and the narrator find some in the form of the Old Miller. Four-Eyes hopes to use the miller’s songs to get him out of the countryside, and Luo and the narrator hope to use the miller’s songs to get to Four-Eye’s suitcase of books.

“‘Let’s drink to your incredible stomach,’ Luo proposed. Waving his beaker, our singer invited us to lay our hands on his abdomen. He began taking deep breaths, without singing, just for the fun of setting off the spectacular ripples across his stomach” (74).

Luo and the narrator’s emotional journey throughout their brief experience with re-education is resounding. The waves of the Old Miller’s stomach can also illustrate teenagers’ up and down stages during adolescence and the theme of coming of age. When Luo and the narrator first arrived in the countryside, Luo quickly became depressed and the two struggled to find hope in their three in a thousand chance of leaving. However, their perspectives change and they now can find happiness and joy in the smallest of things, like an undulating stomach. Even in the darkest of times, hope can be found. Life isn't always straightforward, and it has its bumps. These bumps represent problems you're facing.

Thesis: Sijie uses the symbol of the stomach and the belt to illustrate how even in the darkest of times, you can still find hope in the smallest of things. The emotional journey of the narrator and Luo shows that by Coming of Age their perspectives are changing, and thus their attitudes towards life has changed as well.

Hope:     Waves:

Locked In or Locked Out?

"For the first time in his life, he was suffused with happiness. He refused to go out to work in the fields. Instead, he threw himself heart and soul into the solitary search for mountain folk songs" (64.)

"'Me too. Loathing for everyone who kept these books from us.' Hearing myself utter this last sentence frightened me... Such a remark, casually dropped, could cost several years in prison" (99.)

Sijie uses this symbol of a locked suitcase to illustrate the nature of concealment and a repressive environment as well as hope for the future. The hidden books became a source of hope for Four-Eyes; they allowed him to take an opportunity to escape, but he had to conceal them to keep that hope and opportunity alive. When they read the books, Luo and the narrator grow angry at those who concealed the books from them, but they're not angry at Four-Eyes; they're angry at the government officials who burned and confiscated the world of literature from the eyes of the people.

The Power of the Clock

The Phoenix Alarm Clock

Quotes:
1. "The alarm clock] became an object of veneration, almost. Everyone came to consult the clock, as though our house on stilts were a temple" (14).
2. "One morning when we woke, the thought of the back-buckets awaiting us was so disquieting that we could bring ourselves to get up...[so Luo] slid the hands of the clock back by one hour" (15).

Explanation: Because of their experiences in the city, their insight from the outside world helps them take full advantage of the villagers lack of experience with everything involved in it. As time passed and the two boys grew more aware of the world around them, they realized that they could control those who were less educated than them by turning the hands of the clock. This gave them power over the other workers and even the headman.

Hidden Treasure

Sijie uses the symbol of the suitcase to express Luo’s and the narrator’s desire, yet previous inability to educate themselves. They constantly try to persuade Four Eyes to share the contents of his secret suitcase, but he always refuses, until Luo and the narrator decide to steal it themselves. This interaction with the suitcase represents Coming of Age because they yearn to take control of their education and future, but their plans are hindered by the Cultural Revolution. The narrator indulges in the book written by Balzac and falls in love with the idea of literature and storytelling. The suitcase full of books represents hidden treasure that brings them longing and desire, before turning into joy and fulfillment like treasure but was formerly unattainable.

“‘Are you weeping tears of joy?’ I said.

‘No, all I feel is loathing.’

‘Me too, loathing for everyone who kept these books from us’’” (99).

“We were beside ourselves. My head reeled, as if I’d had too much to drink. I took the novels out of the suitcase one by one, opened them, studied the portraits of the authors, and passed them on to Luo. Brushing them with the tips of my fingers made me feel as if my pale hands were in touch with human lives” (99).

(Coal)tural Revolution

Cul(charcoal) Revolution

Sijie uses the symbol of the coal mine to imply the message of hope and to convey the attitudes of the people during the Cultural Revolution. The coal mine is often dark and light (hope of escape) is faltering, which represents the flickering hope in the hearts of the youth. They know they are doomed to a harsh life in reeducation, but they cannot help but seek hope whenever they can.

"A pinprick of light quivered in the darkness at the end of a long subterranean passage. The tiny bright dot wavered, fell, rose again, and continued its precarious advance. Now and then, when there was a dip in the floor, the dot disappeared for seconds at a time."

"To tell the truth, we accepted this infernal ordeal, because we were determined to stay in the race at all costs, even though our chances of returning to the city were no more than the infinitesimal three in a thousand."

The Sole Truth

Sijie uses the symbol of the Little Chinese Seamstress' pale pink shoes to illustrate the personality of the Little Chinese Seamstress, namely her openness, determination, and her purity of mind. The shoes, described as homemade and simple yet sturdy and eye catching directly reflects upon the character of the Little Chinese Seamstress. As she grows and matures, she will grow out of both her shoes and the values and beliefs attached to them.

"The princess of Phoenix mountain wore pale pink canvas shoes, which were both sturdy and supple"(21).

"There was nothing out of the ordinary about the cheap, homemade shoes, and yet, in a place where nearly everyone went barefoot, they caught the eye, seeming delicate and sophisticated" (21).

水牛 (Buffalo)

"The creature halted, then heaved from side to side, trampling the muddy bed with vigor, as though intent upon crushing the submerged spectacles with it's hooves or the lurching ploughshare" (47).

"It was exceptionally long, and no doubt once belonged to the unfortunate buffalo responsible for breaking capital Four-Eyes's glasses" (105).

These two quotes relate to the symbol of the buffalo because of how Four-Eyes interacts with it. The buffalo symbolizes and illustrates an idea of coming to age, shown through its relationship with Four-Eyes. In the first quote, Four-Eyes is seen struggling intensely with the buffalo, with the buffalo trampling his glasses and whipping his tail into his face. The buffalo is dominant. However, in the second quote, time has passed and Four-Eyes is now returning home. The buffalo is slaughtered in celebration for his returning home, and almost like a trinket or trophy, Four-Eyes decides to keep the long tail of the very same buffalo that had trampled his glasses and caused him so much trouble so long ago. This shows the change in Four-Eyes and how he has now "come to age," and is now dominant over the buffalo. His more figurative "aging" has caused him to become more powerful over the buffalo. The buffalo acts as an obstacle for him, and his coming to age leads into his overcoming of the buffalo.

By Frank Zhou
Akhil Jakatdar
Caroline Schachter
Christy Torres

With Ignorance You Cannot See

Sijie uses Four Eyes’ glasses as a symbol of coming of age throughout the book. Four Eyes is dependent on his glasses, and in a way, he hides behind them. Four Eyes is kind of a cowardly person, and his glasses represent that. Additionally, the fact that Four Eyes wears glasses shows that he can be blind and closed minded, especially to other people’s opinions. He is only focused on his own goal and nothing else. When Four Eyes’ glasses become broken, he depends on his mom to send him another one. This shows that he is dependent on his parents, and also that his glasses represent his hopes of getting out of re-education to reunite with them. His mom is the one that helps him get new glasses as well as get out of re-education, and without his glasses, he can’t work in the fields or do anything else. He is using Luo and the narrator in this way, because he doesn’t actually consider them friends, he is just using them to get out of the re-education system.

Another idea through the symbolism of Four Eyes’ glasses is how the buffalo is the one that knocks them off, and in effect, breaks them. The buffalo represents the peasants and whole re-education system, and how the buffalo is taking away what Four Eyes needs and also his chance to get out. Throughout the book, Four Eyes does change, but the glasses just represent how he acts as his parents taught him to and he becomes more and more like that; he uses people to get what he wants behind a cowardly facade.

“The buffalo was of medium size, but boasted an exceptionally long tail, which swung vigorously from side to side as though determined to splatter its timid, inexperienced master with as much filth as possible. For all of his efforts to dodge the relentless lashes, one split second of inattention was enough for Four-Eyes to receive a blow to the face from the buffalo’s trail, which sent his spectacles hurtling through the air...he let out a stream of abuse, as if he had been blinded” (47).

“‘I’ve written to my mother. She’s going to send me a new pair as soon as possible, but I can’t sit and do nothing until they arrive. I’ve got to work, that’s what I’m here for. At least that’s what the headman says.’ He talked very rapidly, as if he had no time to waste on us” (53).

Playing God

Through changing the time of the alarm clock, Luo reveals his immaturity with this responsibility. He is the "master" of time, yet he manipulates it for his own benefit. Though it may seem insignificant, Luo's actions show how much he has mature throughout the novel. Luo seems to be oblivious of the gravity of the situation, and he instead tries to risk his livelihood to have fun. At the end of the ordeal, Luo not only lost touch with the time, he also lost touch with himself. As we can later see in the novel, Luo improves great strides when it comes to responsibility.

“Nonetheless, our home soon became the focal point of the village, thanks to another phoenix, a smaller version, miniature almost, and rather more earthbound, whose master was my friend Luo” (13).

“... In the end we had changed the position of the hands so many times that we had no idea what the time really was” (15).

The Coat is not a Coat

Sijie uses the symbol of the sheepskin coat to represents the Little Seamstress, Luo, and the narrator’s hunger for knowledge about the ideas of love, passion, and desire illustrated in the western literature, more specifically Ursule Mirouët by Balzac. The new ideas in the book exposes the characters to different aspects in life that they have not been exposed to before. The book introduces a new way of life different to their own which they strive to “reenact” in real life amongst each other.  

“I decided I would write directly onto the inside of my sheepskin coat. The short coat, a gift from the villagers when I arrived, was made of skins with wool of varying lengths and textures on the outside and bare hide on the inside”(58).

“‘She ended up putting your wretched coat on (which looked very good on her, I must say). She said having Balzac’s words next to her skin made her feel good, and also more intelligent”(62).

Instructions for Balzac Symbolism Activity

See instructions on the Google doc:  click here

Each group (or absent person) analyze ONE symbol. Do NOT use a web source to see what the "experts" say -- we want to hear what YOU think!

Specifics:

Create a Blog post for our class website. You may want to draft this on a Google doc before posting. Be sure to include:

1. A catchy title
   
2. Two key quotes for the symbol that reveal both your symbol and its larger meaning.
   
• Please cite correctly
  
3. A visual representation of the symbol and potentially its meaning
   
• Please be sure to use creative commons or other for free to use images
  
4. A thesis statement that explains your interpretation of the symbol and its significance in the novel
   
• Sijie uses the symbols of ________ to emphasize/illustrate/explain/demonstrate__________________
  
• Consider how this symbol connects to the topic of “Coming of Age.”
  
5. Publish your information on our class blog. Be sure to label with “Balzac symbolism” and each person’s name (the exact same wording/spelling of names as on earlier Blogger posts).  Please check your formatting to ensure your thoughts are easy to follow.

Peace

Everyone longs to find peace

From the poorest peasant to the richest business man

The prospect of wholeness drives the most wicked man to God

And the holiest man to Sin

Yet the only way to find yourself is to first find the Tao

The only way to bring about peace is

to bring about Yin and Yang

A man must travel through Hell to

march pass the pearly gates

In the same manner a wise man must walk with Yin

in order to relax with Yang

The Tao

The Tao
It isn't something that can be explained
It is already known.
It isn't something that can be understood
It is within us all.
The Tao isn't a thing at all
But it is also everything.
It has been
Since the dawn of time.
And will stay
To the end of eternity.
The Tao just is.

Cassie Kennedy - Poem

Becoming One with the Tao

Cassie Kennedy

Period 2

Balance. Peace. Serenity.
All characteristics of the Tao.
Chaotic. Stressed. Busy.
The state that I am in now.

I work towards the goal;
Becoming one with the Tao.
Cleanse my mind
Of stressful thoughts.
Find the Yings and Yangs of life
What to do, and what not.

It is then, and only then
That I can find peace.
I must change my way of life
And the existence of problems will cease.

Tao te ching poem

Water, which is very free 

Has shaped the earth

The Ocean is below the land

Yet rivers flow into them

The strongest buildings,

Will eventually crumble

The tallest tree will eventually fall

And a small seed will blossom in its place

Be cautious of the strong

and they shall become weak

let your weakness be your strength

Immerse yourself in the Tao 

and you will be purified 

Tao de Ching Poem Maxwell Kofman

When lies are told

Society crumbles

Society falls when the support beams break

The truth centers inside people

it is ever present, never gone

yet it is corrupted by daily use

Politicians, yet the mailman

The queen, yet the clerk

Everybody breaks it

Nobody admits it

without this we would not be

It makes us human

but we only truly become human

once we break it

We live by it

but once we break it

yin tips the scale

It keeps life moving on

it keeps the gears turning

if it halters, the gears will stutter

life will still go on when it cracks

but it will feel wrong

because it is wrong

We as a society depend on it

it is what keeps us true

We as a society

call it honesty

Embracing the Tao

The Tao.

The beginning and end to

humankind and the universe.

Let the Tao control you,

you shouldn’t control the Tao.

Open yourself,

learn from your mistakes,

and bring peace to the obstacles

that the Tao may bring you.

Depend on your sorrow

to fulfill your happiness.

You have to go through dark

to finally reach the light.

You have to be in peace with yin

to achieve the yang.