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: 
Waves: 
I really like your connection to coming of age and hope. The intermittent-ness of the stomach really represents how coming of age isn't always constant, and some times can be tougher than others. Do you think that Luo and the narrator had fun with the Old Miller not only because they thought they would be getting books from it, but for other reasons too?
ReplyDeleteWhat is an example of how the perspective of the narrator and Luo changed throughout the novel?
ReplyDeleteThis relates to the key ring, another symbol of hope. However, the key ring doesn't turn out as well, as Luo lost it at the bottom of the pool. Unlike the belt, Luo will never get his keys, and any hope that comes with it. The two boys' encounter with the old man allows them to see that even in hard times it is possible to be happy, something that they learn as they continue to mature throughout the novel.
This post is very well organized and clear so I knew what you were talking about as I was reading it. I really like the connections that you made to the hope that Luo and the narrator have when there is barely any to be found. What do the waves symbolize? You mentioned it in your second paragraph but there wasn't as much emphasis on it as with the waistband connecting to hope.
ReplyDeleteI like how you connected the stomach to hope and the stages of life. This also relates to the Balzac books because they change the readers' perspectives and give them hope by giving them a place to escape from daily life. How has the narrator and Luo's perspective on life changed?
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that you linked the miller's stomach to the Coming of Age theme; I really didn't think too much about the stomach at the time. I think one of the hardships in adolescence described was when the Little Seamstress had her abortion. This really affected how she reacted afterwards (leaving the village), but it also signifies the hope she has for her new life. If small things like the Old Miller's stomach can provide hope, what are other examples in the text?
ReplyDelete