Ji-Li Jiang
RED 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-zibaos, 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 Revolution
The 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.