Feminism is the defense of equality between men and women on social, political and economic levels. In Dai Sijie's novel Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, the narrator and his friend Luo are tasked with civilizing a young village girl they meet during their rehabilitation, known as the Little Seamstress. This novel features a female protagonist, The Little Seamstress, who is not afraid to take control of her own future and goes against Luo's and the narrator's stereotypical beliefs that she needs to be saved. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is a feminist literary work because he uses The Little Seamstress to prove that women, regardless of their background, are capable of doing many of the same things as men on their own. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay At first, this novel may be mistaken for sexist rather than feminist writing due to the way Dai Sijie portrays the little seamstress, however, it is written through the narrator's and Luo's point of view, so it actually reflects most men's views on women at that time, which the Little Seamstress later refutes. The way the narrator describes her during their first meeting gives the impression of an innocent young girl who spends her days sewing for the benefit of the men of the village, which suggests a feminine and childlike character. There is a heavy emphasis on her appearance and dress, and the narrator notes that even her pink shoes "attracted attention, looking delicate and sophisticated" (Sijie 21). There is no mention of personality traits in this first encounter, but there is an immense amount of detail placed on the more superficial parts of the Little Seamstress, for example her shoes, alluding to the state of spirit of the boys she possesses. Without even having the chance to know her, Luo and the narrator already objectify her as uncivilized. On the other hand, the Little Seamstress recognizes what the boys might think of her and when she tells them that she cannot read, she justifies herself by telling them "but you must not think that I am stupid, because I 'likes talking to people'. who knows how to read and write” (Sijie 25). She knows what assumptions might be made of her as a village girl, and she quickly counters them by demonstrating her intelligence. There is a feminist connotation here since the Little Seamstress expresses her wish to be considered in the same way as a man despite her setbacks. Although she is portrayed in a stereotypical manner by the narrator, the actions of the Little Seamstress demonstrate an outspoken woman who has a thirst for knowledge but has simply not yet had the opportunity to reach her full potential. . As the novel progresses, a significant increase in her confidence is present and she begins to ignore increasingly misogynistic ideas. When talking about her tradition of diving into the lake to retrieve Luo's keys, the Little Seamstress makes it clear that she does it because she wants to, not because anyone else tells her to. She counters the impression one might have of this situation by saying, “I am not like a stupid dog who keeps running to get the stick thrown by his master” (Sijie 144). The use of the word "idiot", which the Little Seamstress denies, implies that she is smarter than that and is aware of what she is doing. Luo is not her master and does not control the Little Seamstress's choices; there is a balance in their relationship. By recognizing that she.