The Leverage of the Rooster
“We got into the habit of re-adjusting the time on the alarm clock. It all depended on how we were
feeling, physically and mentally. Sometimes, instead of turning the clock back we would put it
forward by an hour or two, so as to finish the day’s work early.” (15)
“The least sign of slackness was enough to incense him at this time, so for a while Luo and I set
off dutifully each morning to work in the fields. We didn’t even risk changing the time on our
little magic alarm clock.” (120)
“We were surprised to see how the alarm clock seized the imagination of the peasants. It became
an object of veneration, almost. Everyone came to consult the clock, as though our house on stilts
were a temple.” (14)
Sijie uses the symbol of the rooster alarm clock to demonstrate the power that the boys
have over the village. This symbol connects to the essay topic of hope because when they
manipulate the time, Luo and the narrator still have hope that they will be able to leave the
Phoenix of the Sky. This small degree of control gave them respite from the harsh conditions of
the mountain. As they stop using the clock to their advantage, they start losing their hope as they
give up most of the little control that they have over their lives. The large difference between the
lifestyles of the peasantry and city people is shown by the peasants’ fascination of a relatively
simple and common technology.
have over the village. This symbol connects to the essay topic of hope because when they
manipulate the time, Luo and the narrator still have hope that they will be able to leave the
Phoenix of the Sky. This small degree of control gave them respite from the harsh conditions of
the mountain. As they stop using the clock to their advantage, they start losing their hope as they
give up most of the little control that they have over their lives. The large difference between the
lifestyles of the peasantry and city people is shown by the peasants’ fascination of a relatively
simple and common technology.
Good evidence that connects to your statement and good explanation/context of those quotes and how it relates to your topic. Also I love the rooster drawing/image.
ReplyDeleteThe alarm clock was a sort of symbol of hope for the boys because it gave them some entertainment as well as an upper hand compared to the others. The clock was something that no one had seen before and was found to be very new and interesting. I wonder if the boys brought the alarm clock on purpose because they knew it would give them a little entertainment or if it was just habit and something normal for them?
ReplyDeleteObviously, this is connecting the clock to the topic of hope. I can also see the topic of loss since one of the sentences says that the narrator and Luo are losing hope. After reading this, I wonder why the headman in particular is so obsessed with the clock.
ReplyDeleteGood evidence to how the rooster connects to hope, but couldn't you also talk about how the rooster connects to coming of age? This symbol connects to coming of age as the boys having power causes them to grow up and learn how to use it.
ReplyDeleteI really like the illustration and the quotes you guys choose. I agree that the rooster clock represents hope, but maybe it relates to intellectual liberty a tad bit too? The villagers have not had the luxury of access to common place knowledge and objects because of the blocked flow of information at the time.
ReplyDeleteGreat connection! Luo and the Narrator basically have no control over their lives,and everyone is constantly telling them what to do. By changing the clock, it gives them a small bit of satisfaction of being independent.
ReplyDeleteWould the quotes also connect to a message about maturity? Was the reason why they stopped adjusting the alarm clock because they finally came to realize that it was a childish and immature thing to do?
ReplyDeleteI think this mostly connects to the topics of hope and coming of age. At first, they were able to use the alarm clock to adjust the time and their working hours, giving themselves an advantage over the others. But over time, they stopped doing it as they realized that it would be much more responsible of them to actually work.
a. Does the alarm clock symbolize anything about the new perspective the alarm clock brings to the village? Since the boys were the ones who brought it into the village, what impact does that have on them?
ReplyDeleteb. I think that this connects to hope. The alarm clock is one of the only things that connects the boys back to their old lives and helps them realize that they still can make it out of re-education. I also think that it gives everybody in general hope because it's something they can look forward to each morning to make them pleased and happy.
What does the fascination the headman portrays towards the clock symbolize?
ReplyDeleteThis clearly represents hope as it is one of the few items that remind the pair of their city life, and it also allows them a couple extra minutes/hours of sleep when they are tired and broken down, but also represents loss as they cannot even dare to change the clock after the headman is on edge.