My Final Post, What We Learn From the Little Seamstress

*THIS POST GIVES AWAY THE ENDING TO "BALZAC AND THE LITTLE CHINESE SEAMSTRESS" 

So I finished "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress." In the end the Little Seamstress leaves. She had started to change after hew abortion and then left. She became more modern and then left with out a goodbye. I wondered about why it was exactly she chose to leave. I think she had just finally gone through enough in her little town and had to leave. Though she never had the opportunity to learn she needed to. There comes a point at everyone's life where you become so mature you need to grow up. I think that though her decision seems quick and reckless, but she was really ready for it.

Often this moment comes with a anger. Anger at parents, anger at yourself. Some kind of anger. One becomes so caught up in his or her own need to grow that teenage angst forms. Teenagers are famous for this angst. I think that means you aren't really so mature that you can't stand everyone else, rather you think you are mature but very often are really just hopelessly confused. I liked that the Little Seamstress was truly ready when she left. She wasn't angry or upset. She was very calm. I think that this proves she is ready to leave more than anything.

I think it was Balzac more than her abortion that changed her. Which is interesting because you would think that a abortion would effect someone more than a book. I think this is also shows her maturity. If it was the abortion that caused her to leave she may have been angry at Luo for getting her pregnant, or at China's laws for making it so hard to get that abortion but making it impossible to keep the child. The banned books just inspired her to grow up so she could see the outside world. She learned about far away places like France and unheard of feelings like love. Her perspective on the world change resulting in a loss of innocence and the need to leave. The abortion just taught her about the harsh realitys of the world. A lesson more than a change.

I think that the Little Seamstress is actually a good example of a responsible teenager, despite her pregnancy. She made a mistake as a teenager but she learned from it. She grew up and left when she needed to. She didn't blame anyone. Which is really easy to do sometimes. She prepared herself for the outside world by slowly changing, she didn't rush into anything. I think as hard as it is, it's important for teenagers not to totally lose there minds. Not as easy as it sounds. Most importantly we need to learn from our mistakes. Learn from our mistakes, let books change us and never stop moving forward. Thanks Little Seamstress.

*This is my final post, so thanks to everyone who reads this and thanks to Ms. Robbins. If you have time please please please please check out and follow my blog "And A Little Bit Not"  for poetry, vignettes, some things that are almost essays but not really, lists, and everything else that goes through my mind. *