For our symbol, we chose the buffalo as the symbol that represents the victims of the revolution.
Four Eyes drinking the buffalo's blood represents how Mao does not lose his hold over the victims over the Cultural Revolution.
“The buffalo was still alive. I will never forget how affected I was by its long drawn-out, plaintive bellows. 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).
“‘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’” (94).
This situation a metaphor for how the communist system is abused. Preventing cowardice is not what we think it means. It’s not about being brave and doing what’s right in this situation. Drinking blood is a dirty thing, but Four-Eyes does it anyways in order to keep control and appear brave to the people. He’s using the buffalo as an example, in the way Mao uses intellectuals as an example for other people to not go against him.
The buffalo is used to represent China during the reign of Mao. When Four-Eyes had been working in a paddy field, the buffalo that he had used swung his tail and knocked Four-Eyes’s glasses off of his face, which enrages him. Later, when Four-Eyes gets a job in the city and is going to leave the re-education program, his mother has the village slaughter a buffalo. The buffalo chosen is the one that had hit Four-Eyes. Here, Four-Eyes represents the Chinese government during the Cultural Revolution, while the buffalo represents the oppressed citizens of China. First, killing animals in such a manner is illegal, yet it is done anyway on Four-Eyes’ behalf, as he is somehow the exception to the rule. This is exactly what Mao did: he created rules for the people of China but didn’t follow them himself. He killed the spirit and freedom of past culture, essentially killing the people. Further, the buffalo is chosen because Four-Eyes felt attacked by it. In killing the buffalo, they make it look like an accident, which causes the buffalo to feel immense suffering. After the buffalo has died, Four-Eyes drinks its blood as a way of proving his courage. This is symbolic of Mao defeating his enemies cruelly and using them as a pedestal to raise his image in front of the people—a method of maintaining power and control; however, the narrator also describes the buffalo’s screams as similar to a lion, implying that it is the people who are courageous, not Mao.
A) Which rules did Chairman Mao break that he created himself?
ReplyDeleteB) This form of symbolism relates to Four-Eyes "coming of age" in the minds of the villagers as it is a test of "manhood" to drink the blood of a sacrificed cow, therefore propelling Four-Eyes as courageous and brave in the hearts of the people.
I do agree with your points, but was revenge a bigger reason for the buffalo? Also, was Mao really part of this?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this is a bit of a stretch. Did Mao try to make his oppression of China seem like an accident? Was Mao bribed by the mother (or whatever would be appropriate to the situation) of the oppressed people of China? Was Mao drinking the blood (or whatever would be appropriate to the situation) of the people of China because he was being pressured to be 'brave?'
ReplyDeleteIs see your guys' point of view, but do you guys feel that the buffalo stress the idea that Four-Eyes' reeducation was unsuccessful?
ReplyDelete-The fact that Four-Eyes never relates to any of the villagers or never cohere with any of the Pheonix Valley's tradition. When he consumed the congeal blood of the buffalo, he became intoxicated and had to rush to the corn field to take a sh*t. Consequently, he becomes sick of all the customs and doesn't become educated; just work.
If the lion roaring is symbolic of how the people are courageous, not Mao, then what does it mean that they are in a cage?
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the coming-of-age theme, I think, because Four Eyes truly believes that he is becoming a man, becoming courageous, if he drinks this blood. He believes that he is growing up and maturing and losing the cowardice of boyhood.
I can understand your interpretation yet doesn't the buffalo represent how Four-Eyes changes as a character throughout the book? I feel as though you guys could have elaborated more on how the buffalo relates to the topic of coming of age.
ReplyDeleteI thought the parallels drawn between the bigger picture (Cultural Revolution) and the buffalo slaughtering were pretty interesting. I understand it symbolizes control, but was there a more explicit way to make this connection, perhaps without using the buffalo?
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