Throughout the course of the novel, a relationship between Luo and the Seamstress can be seen developing. Luo seemingly overcomes his qualms about her uncultured personality for the sake of love, going so far as to face his fear of heights day after day just to see the Seamstress. The Seamstress, too ,seems to be deep in love with Luo, especially in one passage where she specifically states that all she desires is to please Luo.
However, the end of the book reveals the
true intentions behind the supposed love of both characters. While they may have cared for each other on some level, they do not truly love each other for who they are as people. Rather, they have fallen in love with what the other represents. In Luo's case, he loves the Seamstress because she is this
cultured masterpiece he has molded from the wild mountain girl. The Seamstress, on the other hand, is enraptured by
the novelty that Luo brings to her world. The words of Balzac describing a mysteriously foreign world, the very tools Luo uses to shape his masterpiece accordingly, are the things that hold the attention of the Seamstress.
In the end, the author uses these circumstances to convey the message that one should love a person for who they are, not what they represent.
