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We meet the narrator and his best friend Luo, who are both being re-educated in a small, mountainside village. The headman of the village is inspecting a violin the narrator brought with him. The narrator gives us some context about the Cultural revolution and and re-education camps. Luo's dad (a famous dentist) is publicly humiliated for mentioning Mao and Jheng Jieshi in the same sentence.

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The narrator - 17 years old. Main character (?). Luo's best friend. Father is a doctor, mother is a parasitic disease specialist. Can play the violin.

Luo - 18 years old. Best freinds with the narrator. quirky, smart, quick thinking, calm, cool, and collected. Luo's father is a famous dentist, who was accused of sleeping with his nurse (did not actually).

The headman - Scary looking (three spots of blood in his left eye, nose hairs. Intimidating. Strong communist.

Luo's father -  Famous dentist who worked on Mao's teeth. Accused of sleeping with his nurse (did not actually)

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Definition: (Adjective) Such as to provoke laughter.

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Definition: (Adjective) Winding or turning one way or another.

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Definition: (adjective) Irritating or annoying.

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The narrator - He really is good at the violin, but he knows a lot of classical pieces; plays pieces Mozart, Brahms, Beethoven. Still seems kind of shy/stage fright - takes a back seat to Luo when telling the story of the movie.  The narrator seems to be Luo's sidekick?

Luo - Good at storytelling, addicted to cigarettes, likes to entertain. He is understandably depressed - three kids in a thousand might get out of re-education. Luo continues to prove that hes quick-witted, smart, and tricky (alarm clock manipulation).

The headman - He's fascinated by the alarm clock and he really likes storytelling. Wants to be entertained.

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The narrator describes, their living conditions (Phoenix mountain and the house on stilts) as well as their 'job,' moving human and animal excrement from the village to the fields (gross). We learn the village is not very civilized, as they are curious/confused by the alarm clock. The headman gives the boys a new job - going to the nearby village, watching the movies, and returning to tell the story of what they saw.

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Their new job watching movies and telling stories could give them a chance to escape their situation of re-education.

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Luo and the narrator meet the tailor on their way to visit Four-Eyes. Later, when they go to have Luo's trousers lengthened, they meet with the Little Seamstress. They learn more about the tailor from the LS. There is a little bit of flirting between the LS and Luo.

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Definition: (adjective) not embarrassed, disconcerted, or ashamed.

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The little seamstress - Daughter of the tailor.  She can't read much, but likes to talk to people who can read and write (likes to hear other ideas). Flirting with Luo. Alone the majority of the time. Beautiful, pretty eyes, long eyelashes.

The tailor - Father of the LS. He's wealthy, powerful, treated like royalty/celebrity. Travels from village to village for his tailoring services.

Four eyes - Luo and the narrator's friend from the city. He's being re-educated in a different village.

The narrator - Maybe he likes the LS as well? He quiet, he seems to take a backseat to Luo.

Luo - Appears to like the LS. He denies his interest in the seamstress by saying "she's not civilized, at least enough for me"(27). Despite the poor living conditions, he continues to grow.

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Luo and the narrator have been assigned a new job - working in the coal mine. Luo and the narrator think that they are going to die in the mine, and eventually Luo comes down with malaria. The villagers/coal miners try to whip the sickness out of Luo, but he is still sick. Luo receives a letter from the Little Seamstress in which she tells him that the headman of her village has asked that the boys tell the stories of the movies they have seen.

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Definition: (adjective) Disturbing and horrifying because of involvement with or depiction of death and injury.

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The narrator - Scared of dying in the mine (would see his life flash before his eyes often). Worried he'll never see his parents again.

Luo - Scared of dying in the mine. Comes down with malaria.

The little seamstress - Thinking about Luo. She can read and write, thanks to her father, the tailor. Flirting with Luo again through the letter. She's spoken to her village headman to see if Luo and the narrator could come to her village to tell the stories of the movies.

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Definition: (Noun) A soft, moist mass of material typically of plant material or flour, applied to the body to relieve pain and inflammation.

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The Little Seamstress - good with medicine/remedies. Cares about Luo. Kisses Luo. Doesn't know what a dentist is, but is aware of worms in your teeth.

Luo - Still fighting Malaria/fever, but still wants to see the Little Seamstress. Second chapter in a row that he has not been the focal point (due to his sickness).  Can still steal the show and steal a kiss with a well-timed line

The Narrator - Calls the LS pretty (does he have a crush on the LS as well?) Character development - the narrator has grown more comfortable in his storytelling abilities, telling the entire story of The Little Flower to the LS and the four sorceresses. He's still not as good as Luo, but he is improving. Smaller crowd? Luo wasn't there to demand the spotlight? Maybe he wants to impress the LS?

The sorceresses - Old, ugly crones. (witches). One has a bow with which protects them from the demons (sickness). The audience for the narrator's first storytelling adventure.

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Why doesnt anyone in the story have a name (besides Luo)?

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Why doesnt anyone in the story have a name (besides Luo)?

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-Foreshadowing something about Luo?
-What if they don't have names?

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Luo is still sick. They go to the LS to tell the story. The LS brings the sorceresses to help with Luo's sickness. The narrator tells the story of the movie, and with Luo's help, brings the sorceresses to tears. The LS kisses Luo.

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-Luos relationship with the Little Seamstress.
-That the new job of going down to other villages and watching movies can be a way to escape both literal and figurative their living conditions and hardship, and re-education.
-Luo is still sick.
-We don't know any names beside Luos and the historical figures.
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Definition : (adjective) Gratification from one's own pain or humiliation.

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Luo recovers from malaria. The narrator and Luo meet up with Foureyes and have breakfast with him. Four eyes broke his glasses and Luo offers help from him and the narrator to carry the rice. The narrator found Four eyes secret suitcase that was hidden inside a crate inside the clothes. Luo suspects the suitcase has forbidden books in it. When they ask Four eyes what's in the suitcase he avoids the subject. When Luo accuses him of having books he gets defensive and says there aren't books in it. After the narrator and Luo help Four eyes, he gave them a book and the author's name was Balzac.

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Four eyes - Nervous, keeps to himself, sometimes mad, his father was a writer and his mother was a poet. Broke his glasses

Luo - Suspects Four eyes has forbidden books in his secret suitcase, smart

The narrator - Smart, found Four Eyes secret suitcase

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The narrator - Might be in love with the Little seamstress and jealous of Luo

Luo - Made love with the little seamstress

Little seamstress - Lost her virginity to Luo

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Definition: (Verb) To sleep walk.

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Lou reads the book that Four eyes gave to them and then after he gave the narrator the book which he read. After reading the book the narrator realized he might be in love with the little seamstress and is to depressed to play his violin but he takes words from the book and tries to make a song. Luo went off to see the little seamstress. When he came back Luo told the narrator he made in love with the little seamstress and took away her virginity.

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The narrator and Luo want more books from Balzac. Four eyes goes to the Miller to get an old mountain song for his mom but fails when he rejects the pebbles from the Old Miller. Four eyes has lice on his clothes from the bed when Four eyes went to visit the Miller. Luo offers Four eyes a deal by offering to getting his miller to sing his folk songs to them can you lend us more books by Balzac.

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Definition: (adjective) Deprived or lacking something.

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Four eyes - Has lice and has a new job to get the miller to sing to them and insulted the miller by rejecting the pebble

Luo - Wants to read another book by Balzac

The narrator - Wants to read another book by Balzac

The miller - He is a singer

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Go to visit the Old miller and find an old military uniform and pretend they are old communist party officials. Ask him about the old mountain songs the same ones Four eyes was trying to get but the Old miller stalls and says those are old revolutionary songs lets have a drink and a meal first. They eat the pebbles that the Old Miller offered and kept drinking liquor and eating pebbles. Luo and the narrator are willing to do whatever it takes to get a book. The old Miller begins to sing an old mountain song

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The Narrator - Speaks Mandarin

Luo - Quick on his feet

The Old miller - Ignorant and never heard of Beijing, Naive, a little stubborn and not willing to part with the songs immediately, poor.

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Four eyes - Jerk, arrogant, mean, and selfish

The narrator - Bold, 2nd fight, mad and wants the notes back

Luo - All he wants is the books and wanted to go back to the Miller to tell him to thank him for being nice

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The narrator and Luo return with the notes on the song and its not good enough for Four eyes so hes mad and won't give them the books he promised. Luo and the narrator gets mad that he won't accept this and he needs Romantic songs and his mom wont accept it. They keep arguing about it and eventually the narrator attacks Four eyes accidently he just went to grab the paper but accidentally punched him.

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He wanted to the notes back and when he tried to grab it and voluntarily punched him. Also Four eyes was changing the lines of the traditional mountain songs. Hes taking it and making it patriotic and not using the traditional mountain songs and disrespect of the old mountain songs.

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Definition: (Noun) A deciduous Chinese tree related to the conifers with fan shaped leaves and yellow flowers.

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The narrator, Luo, and Little Seamstress go to Yong Jing to go see the movie and the LS says the narrator does the storytelling better. They went to go to a hotel but they couldn't stay there because it was already taken by a women who happened to be Four eyes mom.  LS and Luo went to go to the grave while the narrator stays back and starts a fire and Four eyes mom came up on a porter up the path and the narrator saw Four eyes mom so he decides to talk to her and he pretends to be Luo. During the conversations the narrator finds out Four eyes told her mom that he punched the narrator and changed up the story. They just talk about Four eyes and how great of a writer he is. After, he meets up with Luo and the LS to visit the tomb belonging to the LS ancestor and the LS gets the idea to steal Four eyes because the narrator and Luo really want them.

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The narrator - Smart and quick thinking, pretending to be Luo, bold, wants to read the books. Might have a crush on the LS.

Four eyes mom - Very wealthy women and going to the town to get her son and doesn't know about the books or shes lying to protect her son. Says Four eyes is really smart and the perfect son. Isn't aware of the books or lying about it.

Luo - Doesn't really care about the books anymore.

LS - Bold and sneaky by coming up with an idea to steal the books. She tells the narrator he does the storytelling better.

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Definition: (noun) A person who carries luggage and other loads.

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Definition: (Adjective) Obsolete through age or new technological or intellectual developments. Just like Super old.

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The narrator and Luo plan to sneak in Four eyes house when Four eyes is drinking Buffalo blood. When they sneak in they find the suitcase and Four eyes and his mom come back so they have to find a place to hide. The narrator hides under the mothers bed and Luo hides under Four eyes bed. Four eyes doesn't feel well and gets sick. Four eyes mom suspects someone sneaked in but the window was sealed and the padlock was on the door. Four eyes puts a buffalo tail in the suitcase. Once they leave to go back out Luo grabs the whole suitcase and they leave.

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The Narrator - quick reactions to hide. Smart when he wanted to only take a couple so it won't make it obvious.

Luo - quick reactions to hide.

Four eyes - Still mean and a jerk when he says he was only friends with them to get Luos father to do his dads teeth.

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Definition: (adjective) Full of danger or risk.

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The narrator had a dream about the Little Seamstress dying on her way to their house so he warned Luo not to bring her to their house until they could find a safer path.

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The narrator - Has a dream that the LS dies on the path to their house.

Luo - Is not that concerned with the LS safety

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The Little Seamstress father came to stay with the narrator and Luo. The narrator tells stories about the Count of Monte Cristo and it was forbidden by the communist party. He tells the stories to the tailor (LS father). While telling the story, the narrator heard the headman say to Luo that if he didn't fix his tooth he would take the narrator to the Security Office for being a reactionary and he asked Luo since Luo was the son of a famous dentist.

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The narrator - Realizes he is a bit of a sadist (C15). According to Luo, the narrator's storytelling is superior to Luo's (C14). When the headman discovers the narrator telling stories, the narrator is scared of torture/never getting off the mountain. (C14)

Luo - Comes up with the sewing machine/drill idea to help save the narrator. Loyalty to his friend - insists that he accompany the narrator if he is taken away by the headman. (C14)

Tailor - Apparently doesn't need sleep - works all day and listens to the boys' stories all night. The Western literature is influencing him as well. He is incorporating the French styles (from the book) into the clothes that he makes for the villagers. (C14)

The headman - Demanding and threatening by sending the narrator to the security office if Luo doesn't fix his tooth.

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Definition: (noun) A meeting at an agreed time and place typically between two people.

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Luo - Secret attached to his keys that goes to his house. Worries that he will never leave the mountain to use his keys in his home, so throws them in the natural pool. The pool that was once his paradise with the LS but it changes when he never wants to visit again because his feelings have drift/dread. At the end he receives a telegram to return to his mom that has been hospitalised. Still has strong feelings for the Little Seamstress.

The Little Seamstress - She wants to make Luo happy she tries to retrieve his keys at the bottom of the pool after he throws them in. Somehow she discovers a snake at the bottom that scares her and eventually bites her. She has learned to swim better. She enjoys acting out stories

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The narrator - He was speaking about himself in 3rd person and hes a really good storyteller. He is catching feelings for the Little Seamstress. He is using alot of story elements while telling the story and his use of words. He got closer to the Little Seamstress. Learned girl habits from his mom. He says The Little Seamstress is his soulmate.

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The narrator - Willing up to give his most prized stuff to save a friend so loyal. Really cares for the Little Seamstress. Brave, gave up 2 of the Balzac books and one of them was his favorite. Reached level of maturity that he hasn't had before by putting the LS feelings first.

The Little Seamstress - Found out she was pregnant and got the baby aborted. She got pretty desperate by willing to jump off a building to get rid of the baby because she didn't want to be in prison for life and her life would've changed forever either way. Her life is conflicted and terrified. Her confidence is rattled. She might get depressed, Luo could find out, or someone else finds out.

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Little Seamstress - She wants to be a city girl now, she realizes her worth, grows up and wants to move on, shadowed under Luo and her father and willing to step out and leave them. The abortion changed her (trauma), she matured, cut her hair, got white tennis shoes, changed her appearance. She was influenced by Balzac and any books that talked about cities or anything related to that. Her leaving and becoming her own person.

The narrator - He felt betrayed that the LS left and didn't tell him. He chased her with sweet potatoes to give to her.

Luo - He sees the LS changed and thinks that he changed her and he still sees her as an object. Hes pretty selfish and saw the LS as a object. He was drunk, he burned the books and didn't even consider the narrator.

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I think the book was okay, the book isn't really my type but its a good book. I also didn't like how there was only 1 name in the book and for me the book was kinda boring but its not a bad book. I think there should be a different book other than this and find one that's better.