Sijie's novel, Balzac and the little Seamstress concentrates greatly on the cultural revolution of China, and its affect on its youth. After being suppressed by the government, and forbidden from any further exploration of literature and science, this youth, labeled "intellectuals", find themselves not only angry with the government, but thirsting for what is now the forbidden fruit: education. The underlying themes of revenge, education, cultural enlightenment, and rebellion can be directly applied to the culture and restrictions put upon the youth of America today.

Freedom of press is protected under the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution. The right to peruse education and scientific knowledge are also stated in the United States Constitution, supported by John Locke's idea of the basic human rights: life liberty and property. By forbidding the influential novel by Sijie on school syllabuses, we are denying the...