The narrator in Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is, obviously, the main character as he is the one telling the story. He and Luo are, when the arrive at the mountain, the only sign that technology ever existed in such a remote place. The narrator's
violin is the most distinct aspect that he does not belong in the village, and he plays it remarkably well. As the first section of th novel progresses, the narrator works disgusting jobs including that of a miner and of carrying feces across stretches of mountain paths. But to escape from this, both the narrator and Luo convince the village leader to allow them to go down to another village and watch plays. Upon their return Lou and the narrator would recite the story to amuse the townspeople. Towards the end of the section, they visit a young seamstress, where the narrator falls in love with her. But she is much more interested in Lou than himself. When Lou falls sick, being such a great friend, the narrator attempts to tell one of the stories, though he is not nearly as talented at story-telling.
