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The Cultural Revolution Starts
Chairman-Mao starts his corrupt rule over China. He rises to power and makes schools only teach about him and the rules he wants implanted into society. Without any knowledge this would cause a revolution, kids started to act as Chairman Mao wanted them too, and they didn't really see what was happening. This is what started Red Guards, the 'black family' problem, and the unfairness that enters society. -
Changes at School
Ji-Li's parents won't let her audition for the Arts Academy because they don’t want to draw attention to the bad family background. Her father notes that doing anything connected to Chairman Mao or the government will quickly cause them problems. As seen later in the book, this includes bullying, harsh treatment, illegal searches, and hate towards the family. This was a big negative change on China that lasted a few years. -
Destroying the Four Olds
Townspeople and Red Guards start destroying the four olds (old ideas, old culture, old customs and old habits.) This gets everyone tense, not knowing who will get searched next. This gets so bad that seeing a Red Guard gets a majority, if not everyone, to panic. Eventually, Ji-Li's grandma tells her and her brothers to stay at the park when Red Guards are around because she doesn't want them to get scared or even get hurt. -
Da-Zi-Bao
School's tell students to write Da-Zi-Bao’s (big posters pointing out people's problems to humiliate them) about the educational system. As shown in the Da-Zi-Bao on Ji-Li, they include how they think she is guilty and put in information that isn't nearly true: one example is how people thought she got straight A's because of a teacher-student relationship. This hurts people and encourages Chairman Mao's supporters to harm those who oppose them. -
Da-Zi-Bao On Ji-Li
Ji-Li finds a Da-Zi-Bao about her and her teacher saying that he favored her and they had a relationship. This, she knows, is nowhere close to true, and she starts to cry. Ji-Li and An-Yi head outside to take a breather. An-Yi knows it's not true, and feels terrible for Ji-Li. Ji-Li wonders why people would assume that, and feels confused and lost for words. -
The Red Guards
The Red Guards begin ransacking people's homes searching for four olds and confiscating them. This causes tension in neighbors, as everyone is worried they will be searched next. When someone is searched, all of the neighbors are scared they will be searched next. As shown in the book, Ji-Li's brother always has the latest news on who was searched and what they found. This gets everyone not supporting Chairman Mao scared and this shows they used fear and force for their cause. -
Ji-Li's Thoughts
An old man is beaten and punished for not letting the Red Gaurds use his bike. Ji-Li thinks this unnecessary but still supports Chairmen Mao, because she doesn't want to go through the past again. She doesn't want to be rebelled against, nor does she want her family to get into anymore problems. -
Being Afraid to Death
An-Yi’s grandmother was so afraid she would be beaten by the Red Guards like the old man that she commits suicide. This shows the fear and force the Red Guards used can, quite literally, 'scare someone to death', which is really bad and needs to change. -
Ji-Li's Family Fear
Afraid that the Red Guards would search their house, the Jiangs had the kids and Grandma go to the park where they would be safe. This shows Red Guards were merciless, as they were worried their children would get hurt, and they would be scared to death. Thankfully, no one gets hurt... that time. -
Target Locked-On
The Red Gaurds target the Jiangs and searched their house for the second time in suspicion.
(What a nice present)
This shows Red Guards can't let people have peace, even on a holiday. They have no feelings, blinded by Chairman Mao, as he was the mastermind during the Cultural Revolution, and made it happen in the first place. -
Xi-reng Jiang
They accused Ji-Li's Dad of listening to a foreign radio and arrested him when he was really innocent. That shows that even doing some of the simplest things, could get you into trouble. It's like saying you got arrested for cleaning. That's how mind boggling it was back then. -
Sweeping For Nothing
Red Guards made Ji-Li's grandmother sweep the streets for being a landlord's wife. This is pointless and unfair for two reasons. For one, the landlord was dead, so she was no longer a wife. Secondly, she hasn't done an actual crime, so why is it they still punish her? -
Search For A Letter
The Red Guards searched their house again looking for a letter the Jiangs hid. The letter contained complaints about the Rebels at the theater who had arrested Ji-Li’s dad. This shows that for the 3rd time, Red Guards barge into the Jiang's house for a mere letter. They knew what the letter contained, making the whole 'house barge' pointless. It's even more ridiculos, as Ji-Li's grandma gets slapped hard in the face when Ji-Li doesn't answer Six-Fingers. -
Ji-Li Becomes 'Mother'
Ji-Li tries to take care of her whole family while her Mom is sick, Dad is in jail, Grandma is forced to sweep the streets and Ji-yun and Ji-yong are terrified of what is going to happen. This leaves Ji-Li as they only person to take charge, and she does it well. She cooks, cleans, sews, and makes sure everyone is alright. This shows she has a sense of responsibility for her family, and it was for the best. -
Ji-Li Worries
She worried her Mom would get detained, her Dad would get beaten to death, her Grandma would get sent away, Ji-yong’s temper would get him into trouble, and that Ji-yun would be so scared that she would never laugh again. This is all because of what the government was allowing now, including kids harming 'black family' kids, getting into fights over belongings, and even stealing to make them feel pathetic. -
Change Of Goals
"Once my life had been defined by my goals...to be a Red Gaurd. They seemed unimportant to me now. Now my life was defined by my responsibilities."
pg. 263
Ji-Li now doesn't care about society's issues as much and now sees herself needing to only do things she had to. She has run out of cares for the government and now is only doing things for her family, avoiding the government, and waiting till Chairman Mao was gone.
