how is culture important to the novel?

Though Western novels provide its main thematic thrust, the story also explores the way that both high and low culture can enrich us. When the narrator and Luo first arrive in the village, they mostly value high culture, like violin music and novels. However, their adventures reveal the richness and complexity of mountain culture as well. For instance, they are moved by the elderly miller's lewd songs, and affected by the festivities of Four-Eyes's farewell banquet. One of the most important lessons that the narrator and Luo learn is that high and low culture complement each other, and that both can enrich the human soul. The important lesson is that an individual should learn to express himself; the means through which he does so is less important.