Power of education and literature
Critics have noted that the novel deals with the strength of education and literature. Jeff Zaleski of Publishers Weekly said that the novel "emphasize[s] the power of literature to free the mind."[9] A book review by Brooke Allen in The New York Times addresses the themes, such as the "potency of imaginative literature and why it is hated and feared by those who wish to control others."[10] This reviewer addresses the evil and ultimate failure of "any system that fears knowledge and education... and closes the mind to moral and intellectual truth" as well.
The narrator mentions that western literature is banned and many forms of books and music have been altered to support Mao, with the novel showing how storytelling and censorship stand in opposition to each other, and how storytelling gives individuals power and knowledge despite censorship.
Friendship and lost innocence
The major themes of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress include friendship and lost innocence.[11]
Cultural superiority
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress deals with the theme of cultural superiority and balance between varying cultural influences.[10]
