Balzac & the Little Chinese Seamstress Pt 1

What genre is Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress?

• memoir

• historical fiction

• dystopia

• magical realism

• biography

Who was the leader during the Chinese Cultural Revolution?

• Chairman Mao Zedong

• Chairman Dai Sijie

• Chairman Luo Zhang

• Chairman Yong Jing

When was the Chinese Cultural Revolution?

• 1966-1976

• 1945-1958

• 1969-1991

• 1957-present

Which of the following is NOT a goal of communism?

• to eliminate class inequality (the gap between the rich & poor)

• for the workers to own the means of production

• to eliminate corporate greed by getting rid of private business

• to increase the nation's GDP (the total value of the goods/services produced)

Why are the unnamed protagonist and Luo in a small town in the mountains?

• They had to flee arrest.

• They're hiding out after their parents disappeared.

• There are no more job opportunities for youths in the city, so they're here for work.

• They're being re-educated via manual labor.

What does it mean to characterize someone as "bourgeois"?

• greedy, selfish, unethical, rich

• honest, hard-working,

• juvenile, petulant

• tattletale, snitch, traitor

What instrument does the protagonist play?

• flute

• violin

• harmonica

• trumpet

• guitar

What happened to the educational system under the Chinese Cultural Revolution?

• All private / charter schools were banned, and public schools were the only option.

• All schools were closed for a while, and when they reopened, they only taught industry & agriculture.

• All arts/humanities were banned (music, literature, social studies, world languages, religion, etc.); there was only math, science, & PE.

• School became year-round with few breaks so that Chinese children would be the most educated in the world and throughout history.

What is Luo's opinion of the little Chinese seamstress?

• She is the most interesting girl he's ever met.

• She's not civilized enough for him.

• She's not good enough at the domestic arts--cooking, cleaning, etc.

• She's very pretty except for her teeth, so he doesn't like it when she smiles.

Why did Luo punch the protagonist?

• The protagonist was making a move on the seamstress.

• The protagonist had cried at Luo's father's public humiliation.

• The protagonist had pressured Luo to skip school on a test day, and Luo's father beat him.

• The protagonist had went to Luo's grandmother's funeral, even though he'd been told not to come.