Red Scarf Girl

What does family mean to a teenager growing up during the Cultural Revolution in China? It means hope. The Red Scarf Girl portrayed the struggle a young girl had to face. The book told how Jin-li Jiang was rejected by her peers, forced to hate her family, and criticized under the public eye. She had to grow up fast in order to survive the cruel world.

The Cultural Revolution was about getting rid of the Four Olds in China. The Four Olds were old ideas, old culture, and old customs. Destroying all of this in China was a large task that everyone had to take on in order to stay out of the public light. Ji-li Jiang's family had to hardest time staying out of the public light because their ancestor was landlord, one of the most frowned upon occupations. This black family background gave Red Successors the right to search their house and put Ji-li's father in jail. The Cultural Revolution made Ji-li Jiang and her family stick together and hope for a better future.

At the beginning of the Culture of the Revolution schools were at a stand still. No teachers were there to teach. All the kids had to write da-zi-baos about the Four Olds in their lives then confront the people about them. The class wrote mostly about the teachers but they also wrote about Ji-li's aunt for wearing make up and not letting them pick leaves from her tree. Everyone wrote a da-zi-bao except for Ji-li because she found nothing wrong with the teachers or her family. Everyone was changing for the Culture Revolution including Ji-li. She was tempted multiple times by changing her last name to better her future and turning her family in so she could have opportunities. Even though she almost turned her family, she got through it by hoping it will get better.

Almost a year and half went by since Ji-li went to school, but Junior High soon began. With school beginning again new fears followed. She was criticized at her old school for being too smart and out shining the others, but at her new school she was praised for being smart not mocked. New fears appeared when Junior High started, but the problem came from home. Ever since her father was arrested everyone was pushing for Ji-li's mother to break ties with him. Ji-li's mother was shunned for not breaking ties and the embarrassment followed Ji-li to school. At school she was tempted to come up with accusations against her father to keep him in jail, but she hesitated and was soon replaced. Her

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