Quotes:
- drinking the blood of the buffalo
- “When he had finished he sucked his fingers one by one, to make sure not a drop was wasted. As he made his way up the steep incline I noted he was still smacking his lips to prolong the taste”(93).
- Meaning: Four-Eyes drinking the buffalo blood is a symbol of his own duality. He tries to be pro-revolutionary but in doing so violates several of the key pillars of the revolution. So, he tries to muster as much courage is possible - that is shown in this quote.
- Four Eyes puts the buffalo tail on the suitcase
- “It was only after an hour’s headlong flight along the mountain path that we finally dared to stop. Luo opened the suitcase. On top of the meat stacked books lay the buffalo tail: black, with a tufted end, and stained with dark blood”(105).
- Meaning: The buffalo’s tail is a reminder of when Four Eyes drank the buffalo blood which was supposed to make him more courageous.
Thesis Statement:
In his novel, Sijie uses the death of the buffalo in order to emphasize that Four-Eyes has a two-sided personality. In order to display his courageousness, Four-Eyes broke killed the buffalo and willingly drank its blood. By licking his fingers, he demonstrated that he did not have any doubts about killing the buffalo. After the event, Four-Eyes kept the buffalo’s tail as a reminder of his courageous act. This reflects coming of age because Four-Eyes demonstrates that he is mature and unafraid of drinking the blood of a buffalo. This also connects to his two-faced personality because he is showing that he is brave, but later throws up because he can’t stand the blood of the buffalo.
I notice that this post is definitely connecting to the topic of coming of age. It talks about Four-Eyes's maturity and how that is shown through the buffalo. After reading, I wonder if he chose the annoying buffalo on purpose. Why did he choose to kill it?
ReplyDeleteI like the connection between the buffalo, and Four-Eyes being two-faced. It's a clear, and easy to understand connection that's also backed up by the text
ReplyDeleteI think that does strongly relate to coming of age because in the beginning of the book he was very scared of not being seen as a pro-revolutionary and now he does all he can to prove that. I was wondering why four-eyes later rejects it? Is that a sign or is it just something that happens to everyone because your not suppose to drink buffalo blood.
ReplyDeleteIs there another meaning to Four-eyes drinking the buffalo blood?
ReplyDeleteI think the drinking of the buffalo blood shows how Four-eyes is not as courageous as he wants other to think that he is. I agree that this passage shows coming of age when he chooses to drink the blood, and is able to finish all of it. I do think that it shows that Four-eyes is more of a coward, since he is not able to digest the blood, which points out important ideas of his personality.
Does this scene just represent coming of age?
ReplyDeleteI think the killing of the bull also represents a loss of Mao's power, as the villagers had killed a bull to celebrate a boy going back to the city, these actions seem counter-revolutionary.