RED SCARF GIRL Study Questions

1. Who are the members of Ji-Li’s family? Describe her family home. What class status does her family belong to? What is the occupation of her father? Mother?

The members of Ji-Li's family are Ji-Yong as the younger brother (11years old), p14, Ji-Yun (10 year old), Song Po-Po (the nanny/housekeeper), (pg.14-15) mom and dad, Grandmother, (who used to be the principal), p14, Aunt and cousin, (they live downstairs and the cousin is You-Mei (pg.15) a cat called "little White", (pg.17). You-Mei's baby (Hua-Hua) (pg.15).

Her family home is a big building in Shanghai, a french window and high ceiling (pg.15) and had only one room. The apartment was warm, and bright, p7. There was a private bathroom, as large as some peoples entire house, (pg.15-16). They lived on an alley, (pg.20). Mahagony table, (pg.16).

Family occupation: Her dad is an actor and her mom used to be an actor (pg.13) (she now works at a sport store). Her Grandmother was vice-principal of her old school (pg.14).

Her families class status: Upper middle class (pg.16), (there family had a bigger place to live in and were more special). (pg.15) her Grandmother had a modern education.


2. What is Ji-Li’s life at school like? What special honor is Ji-Li picked for at school? Describe Ji-Li’s parents’ reaction. What does Ji-Li do instead of entering the audition?

Ji-Li's life at school: Ji-Li was expected to succeed in everything, She was able to excel (pg.1). They were acussing her and her best friends for spreading the "four olds" (pg.34-36). Ji-Li scored a perfect score on a math test (pg.3)
She had oppertunitys for dance training (pg.6)

What special honor is she choosen for?: The central liberation army arts academy choose Ji-Li for their dance troop (pg.6).

Her parents reaction: They said no. They said that they had political problems that were complicated (pg.10). Her mom said that the army would be strict (pg.8) Her father was first shocked then angry then overp protected and discouraging (pg.8-10). Solemn(pg.8)

What does Ji-Li do instead? : She gives a note to the principal about how she cannot participate in the try-outs (pg.11).

3.What are the "Four Olds"? Provide some examples of each and explain why they need to be destroyed. What does "prosperity" mean? Why is it considered an old thought?

Four olds: Old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits (P.21) and the reason that Mao wanted to get rid of them is because he wanted to bring in the "four news" and he told china that they could never succeed in building a strong socialist country unless the four olds were destroyed (P.21). Prosperity means to be successful, rich or wealthy. There was also a shop which had the word prosperity in it and it then had to be destroyed. (pg.21).

4. What is a xenophile? Why is it bad to be a xenophile in Revolutionary China?

Someone who warships anything foreign (pg.34) and it was bad because they were undergoing a cultural revolution which was meant to focus on china and not foreign influences (pg.34)

5. What are da-zi-bao? What are being done with them? Who is Jiang Xi-wen? Why does Ji-Li hang a da-zi-bao on her house?

A da-zi-bao is like a big poster in which humiliates or critizes someone or thing because of something that they had done. (pg.38). The da-zi-bao are bieng used to critisize or say bad things about some of the educational system (pg.38) and also to humiliate different kinds of people like Ji-Li's aunt Jiang Xi-Wen (page 43-44).

Jiang Xi-Wen was Ji-Li's father's cousin. Ji-Li and other classmates hung a da-zi-bao on her house because she wears make-up which according to Chairman Mao is bourgeois. (pg.44-48)

6. Why does Ji-Li stop going to school for a while?

Ji-li stops going to school for a for just a little while because people were accusing her of having a relationship with a teacher named Ke Cheng-li (pg. 49).

7. What is a rightist? Use your own words to briefly explain the process of remodeling ones ideology.

A rightist is someone who is against the Communist party and also a member of the conservative party.

Remold one's ideology means to change that persons belief. The process of remolding one's ideology is to forget the past and to then think of a new idea in which to keep in mind.

8. What did Ji-Li's grandfather do for a living? How does this affect Ji-Li's life?

Ji-Li's grandfather was a landlord. He owned some land and received money from the farmers who grew their crops on it. And this affected Ji-Li because a member of the family or yourself be a landlord was very bad according to Chairman Mao and it made you a rightist and that was also very bad according to Chairman Mao.