The Hidden Beauty Beneath the Case

The Hidden Beauty Beneath the Case

“We were beside ourselves. My head reeled, as if I’d had too much to drink. I took the novels out of the suitcase one by one, opened them, studied the portraits of the authors, and passed them on to Luo. Brushing them with the tips of my fingers made me feel as if my pale hands were in touch with human lives” (99).

"The heightened vigilance and distrust shown by Four-Eyes in spite of the friendship between us, seemed to substantiate Luoʼs theory, and we grew convinced that the suitcase was indeed filled with banned books. We often discussed this between us, Luo and I, speculating wildly about the kind of books that might be among them” (50).

Sijie uses the the suitcase to show how that when young, growing minds are briefly exposed to a glimpse of knowledge, they will develop a voracious appetite for more. This symbol connects with the idea of “Coming of Age” because it shows how people that are not educated very well in their childhood will inevitably will hungry for knowing as much as they can. As the main characters in the book continue to mature, their desire for more and more knowledge will influence many of their decisions to come.