Buffalo
Main Ideas/ Argument
The buffalo in the books is a symbol representing Four-Eyes depriving his “friends” of their intellectual liberty. When the buffalo is present, Four- Eyes’ true influence over Luo and the narrator is revealed. We constantly see that Four- Eyes’ has something that makes him more powerful than the other boys. The first time we see the buffalo, Four- Eyes’ glasses break and it is revealed that he holds a object of influence and power: the books. The next time we see the buffalo, it is when Four- Eyes is leaving the village. We see that when the buffalo is present, Four- Eyes gains power over his friends because of the intellectual liberty he holds. This means that the buffalo is a symbol of the fact that intellectual liberty is power.
Quotes
“The buffalo was still alive. I will never forget how affected I was by its long drawn-out, plaintive blows. Under normal circumstances the bellow of a buffalo is disagreeably harsh, but on this calm late summer’s day the sound echoing through the rocky mountains was imposing and sonorous, like the roaring of a lion in a cage.” (93)
“The poetess was nowhere to be seen. What would she have thought if she had been there with us to watch her son bury his face in his cupped hands and slurp the clotted buffalo blood, like a swine rooting in the mire? 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.” (94)
“They sat side by side, hunched over the bamboo-leaf hat filled with buffalo blood.
“What are they doing down there?” I asked the man standing next to me. “They’re waiting for the blood to congeal,” he replied. “It’s a remedy against cowardice. To gain courage, you must swallow it when it’s still lukewarm and frothy” (93-94).
Four-Eyes’ Glasses
Main Ideas/ Arguments
Four-Eyes’ glasses represent the coming of age during this novel. We can see that as the boys come of age as they begin to be motivated by their loss, rather than simply sulk about it. As soon as we see that Four-Eyes loses something, the boys begin to manipulate each other in order to get what they want: intellectual liberty. We can also observe the fact that as the boys come of age their motives become more clear and they have more to lose and gain.
The loss of Four-Eyes’ glasses could also represent him losing his humility and revealing his true nature. At first, when Four-Eyes’ glasses fall and he begins to search for them, the narrator immediately enters the area intent on assisting Four-Eyes. However, the narrator describes, “Four-Eyes was not eager for me to help search for his spectacles, fearing that I would be a hindrance,” which reveals a great deal about Four-Eyes’ character. His wanting to search by himself and not have the help of others shows that he is solely focused on himself, and he does not want others to get in the way of him being able to eventually go back to the city. After the narrator unintentionally steps on Four-Eyes glasses, he states, “Fortunately they were still in one piece,” which shows how the narrator had truly had good intentions and it glad that he did not make Four-Eyes’ life more difficult by causing his glasses to be even more destroyed.
Four Eyes’ glasses also end up showing the power he has. While the narrator and Luo are unable to contact their families, Four-Eyes has been able to write to his mother, who is sending him new glasses. This shows that he has more power in their community than the narrator and Luo have because while the narrator and Luo only have each other to rely on for support in their harsh situation, Four-Eyes is able to have support from his mother back at home which gives him an advantage in the situation.
Quotes
“I took off my shoes, rolled up my trousers and stepped into the paddy field, leaving Luo seated by the wayside. Four-Eyes was not eager for me to help search for his spectacles, fearing that I would be a hindrance, but in the end it was I who stepped on them inadvertently as I groped in the mud. Fortunately they were still in one piece.” (47)
“I’ve written to my mother. She’s going to send me a new pair as soon as possible, but I can’t sit and do nothing until they arrive. I’ve got to work, that’s what I’m here for. At least that’s what the headman says.” (53)
Very cool insight about the buffalo being a sort of sign of Four Eyes's power. In this way, the buffalo transcends just being a buffalo and is actually a messenger created by the author to signal the reader when something about Four Eyes is going to be revealed.
ReplyDeleteIs the buffalo a symbol of Four-Eyes's coming-of-age, or the coming-of-age of all the characters through Four Eyes's influence?
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting how you realized that part of Four-Eyes's power came from his mother, since she was still well-known. I had not realized that Four-Eyes's access to somewhat frequent communication with his mother could have contributed to his power within the village.
Is the buffalo a symbol of Four-Eyes's coming-of-age, or the coming-of-age of all the characters through Four Eyes's influence?
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting how you realized that part of Four-Eyes's power came from his mother, since she was still well-known. I had not realized that Four-Eyes's access to somewhat frequent communication with his mother could have contributed to his power within the village.
Follow up question:
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think the death of the buffalo symbolizes? If the buffalo is a symbol of Four Eyes's power, does the death of it mean that he is moving on, or does it mean he is losing his power?
The buffalo does show Four Eyes in power, but doesn't it also show him weak because his glasses are broken? I like the connection between the buffalo and coming of age and how the author uses the buffalo when he wants to portray that. I think the buffalo also represents power because the village killed it in order to celebrate Four Eyes's reeducation, so it must have been important.
ReplyDeleteHow could you link the two symbols to one theme?
ReplyDeleteFour eyes glasses could also be linked with the symbol of the buffalo and coming of age as their event occurred around the same times.
I enjoyed how you connected these two symbols through the common theme of breakage. I think the buffalo and the breaking of glasses also relate to coming of age--they show the hardships that reeducated people had to go through, and they show how the survivors had to be resilient and carry on despite breakage. What other symbols in this book do you think represent power due to intellectual liberty?
ReplyDeleteIf the buffalo is a symbol of the power Four Eyes holds over Luo and the narrator, then does it's death symbolize the leaving of Four Eyes and the narrator and Luo being freed from his influence?
ReplyDeleteI really liked the connection you made to the glasses and coming of age. This was a new perspective, because I would've said that the books were closer to that topic. However your evidence and analysis was so good that I am now sure that the glasses were the best symbol to show coming of age.
I like the insight you gave to the glasses. I did not think of it in this way before.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that Four-Eyes was being selfish and wrong, or were the boys the selfish ones?
I thought it was very interesting how you thought that the buffalo represented intellectual liberty. Do you think the glasses could represent something else also?
ReplyDelete