Ji-Li JiangRED SCARF GIRL

About Red Scarf Girl

Red Scarf Girl is about a girl living through the Cultural Revolution in China (1966-1976). She has to make many hard decisions and has to chose between her family or respect towards chairman Mao. In the end, after watching everyone being treated so harshly, she realizes that her family has done nothing wrong.

The Cultural Revolution

The Cultural Revolution began in 1966 and was created by Chairman Mao in an attempt to rid China of the “four olds.” These were old ideas, old customs, old culture, and old habits.

The Cultural Revolution

Chairman Mao created a group of students called the “Red Guards” to discipline the revolution. They attacked anyone who disrespected Mao’s ideas. Anyone who resisted was punished.

The Cultural Revolution

• Students and Red Guards would write da-zi-baos, criticizing the education system, people, or anything that might be disrespectful to the Cultural Revolution.

The Cultural Revolution

• Everyone would carry around a “little red book”, which was required reading in school. The cover of the book says “Citacoes do Presidente Mao Tse Tung.” Inside are some of Mao’s quotes and past speeches.

The Cultural RevolutionThe people would put up propaganda posters. They

played a major role in supporting the many campaigns that were designed to mobilize the people. Most of them showed people displaying model behavior. The one below represents the concept of “we must grasp revolution and increase production and do an even better job.”

The Cultural Revolution• During the Cultural

Revolution, schools were greatly affected. The brightest students were sent to the lowest standardized school if their background was not clear. During this period of time, students were treated unequally and without much choice in their future.

Mao Ze-dong Mao Ze-dong was the was

a Chinese millitary and political leader who led the communists of China to victory in the Chinese civil war. He died in September of 1976. Some suggest that violent attacks on people had the

official blessings of Mao.

Ji-Li Jiang

Ji-Li Jiang has written many books, Red Scarf Girl being the first. Ji-Li has many childhood memories of the cultural revolution and she brings them to life in her books. She also talks at schools and conferences about her past experiences.

At age twelve, Ji-li Jiang had everything to look forward to - especially continued success in junior high school. She and her parents believed that a girl in Chairman Mao Ze-dong's New China could go far with so much intelligence and talent. However, in 1966, the start of the Cultural Revolution changed all that. Ji-li Jiang and her family were persecuted and humiliated when the old ways and ideas were suddenly deemed undesirable, and anyone with ties to them became suspect. Because Ji-li Jiang's grandfather had been a landlord, her entire family was seen as being opposed to the new values of the Communist Party. Ji-li Jiang is forced to choose between her family and her future in Communist China.