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?
Ji-Li's family members: Ji-Li's father, Song-Po-Po(nanny/housekeeper:P.14), Ji-Li's mother, Ji-Yong(younger brother), Ji-yun (younger sister), Ji-Li's grandmother (went to modern university, teacher, help found Ji-Li's primary school:P.14), Little white(cat)
Ji-Li's home: bright and warm and welcoming, appartement in Shanghai, had a french window, mahogany table, high ceilings, burgandy curtains, pots on steps.(P.7) 10 times bigger room than classmates, 100 times brighter, full-sized bathroom.(P.15~16)
Family status/class: Middle class who are doing well. Not super-rich, but well-off.
Family occupation: Both parents are an actor/actress. But the now the mother retired and works in a sports equipment store.(P.13)
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 school life: She's the student chairman of the whole school and also was an outstanding student (P. 9). She was happy and was always respected, loved, able to excel and expected to succeed (P.1). Ji-Li math test was display as exemplary work (P.3). She was known for being good at martial arts since 2nd grade (P.5). She had a da-dui-zhang badge for student chairman of the whole school (P.9). She was correcting her little sister about her piano practice (P.29).
Special honor: She was picked to do an audition for the Central Liberation Army Arts Academy (P.6)
Parents' reaction: Her dad told her not to do the audition and he was serious about it(P.8). She also saw a pain in her dad's eyes that she had never seen before (P.9). Her dad was worried about the political background investigation (P.9). They send a note principal Long (P.10)
Instead of entering the audition: Ji-Li tried hard not to cry about not going to the audition after talking to teacher Gu and An Yi, she dogged behind a tree so Principal Long and the 2 boys wouldnt see her because she didnt want to talk to anyone right then (P.12)
Four Olds: The four olds are old habits, old ideas, old culture, and old customs(p.21).
Examples: Old habits, an example is beeing named after something(p.1). Old ideas is saying that umbrella is Yang-san(p.34/35). Old culture is thearing down old signs because they are old(p.22-25). Old customs are wearing pants with a narrow bottom(p.32).
Prosperity:Prosperity is the name of a market(p.21/22)
Thought:This is considered a thought because when people say prosperity they think of that market.
4.What is an xenophile? Why was it bad to be a xenophile in the Revolutionary China?
Xenophile: An xenophile is a person who loves anything foreign(p.285)
Why was it bad to be one: It was bad to be a xenophile during the revolutionary China because Chairman Mao wanted everything to be Chinese.
5.What are da-zi-bao?What are being done with them?Whois Jiang Xi-wen? Why does Ji-Li hang a da-zi-bao on her house?
Da-zi-bao: A da-zi-bao is a form of propaganda in the shape of a large written poster presenting an important issue. During the cultural Revolution, da-zi-bao were used to attack and humiliate people(p.276).
What happens: They were made by kids and they wrote nasty messages about there teachers on them and hung them in the hallways and then out side on the wallls and then on rope strung across the school yard(p.39).
Jiang Xi-wen: She was a 50 year old women and was Ji-Li's aunt. Everyone thought she was mean because of the things she and just about a few weeks before the da-zi-bao a few students had climed into her yard to pick some mulberry leaves for there silk worms and she had complained to the school(p.44).
Da-zi-bao for her:They put da-zi-bao on her house and made her put it up because they do not like her and she is a bourgeouis and cares about outward beaty and not so much inward and Mao believes everyone should have more inward beauty(p.46-47).
6.Why does Ji-Li stop going to school for awhile?(What has she been accused of?)
Ji-Li saw a da-zi-bao of her being accused of having a relationship with a teacher, Ke Cheng-li because she was his favorite student)p.49). So she plans to stay home for afew days but then gets a high fever and stays home for about 10 days(p.52).
7. What is a rightist? Use your own words to briefly explain the process of remolding one's ideology.
Rightist: A member of the conservative party who disagrees with or opposed the Communist party(p.283).
Remolding of ideology: To remold an ideology you must get rid of the old to make room for the new. In this case I think the four olds to make room for the 'four news'. And when they tell Jiang Ji-Li to "remold her ideology" I think they mean because they think her father is a rightist to become a loyal Communist Party follower.
8. What did Ji-Li's grandfather (her dad's father) do for a living? How does this affect Ji-Li's life?
Grandfather: Ji-Li's grandfather was a landlord. And all the generation that Ji-Li is in HATE the landlords.
Ji-Li's life: Ji-Li's life is now bad because now everyone hates landlords and now everyone knows that her grandfather was one. She is treated very badly by her classmates who she has helped over the years(p.64-65,68).
9. Use your own words to summarize the events surronding Old Lady Rong on pages 81-85.
Her husband haddied a capitalist cause he 'exploted the masses' by owning factories (p.82).The red guards have stripped the house bare of all her belongings and she has sent her sons to coninue the buisness in which this started in Hong Kong(p.82).Everyone gossiped about her and how she had to get a nicer dress than another if they got a fancy dress and new diomond ring than before(p.84).
10. What does the sound of drums and gongs mean in Ji-Li's life?
To Ji-Li the sound of drums and gongs means another search and another exciting Red Guard excevation...at first(p.85). Soon after these sounds are scary and nerve racking, they might be coming to search her house (p.120-121).
11. Who is Song Po-Po? How does her leaving leaving Ji-Li's life?
Song Po-Po: Song Po-Po was a nanny for Ji-Li and her siblings and then stayed and was a house keeper. She had been there so long that she was like another grand-mother.
Ji-Li's life: She had a big input on Ji-Li's life so when she had to leave Ji-Li was sad but also happy that her family were no longer explioting her and did not understand why she wasn't happy about that(p.88). She didn't want her to leave and she had no place to work and didn't know what would happen to her.Song Po-Po also used to sing and she could read, and read music. Ji-Li misses the songs that she sang(p.88).
12. What is a dowry? What items does Grandmother have left from her dowry? What does Ji-Li's mother do with their ancestors' clothes? Why does she do this?
Dowry: Is the gifts you get when you get married(p.94-95).
Grandmothers dowry: When Ji-Li's grandmother got married part of her dowry were 4 trunks of rich red leather(which Ji-Li's dad had to stain black now because they were considered four olds,p.94-95). In one trunk were lovely silks and satin gowns in all colors from there ancestors(p.96).
What happens to the clothes: Ji-Li's mother and grandmother took the gowns and cut them up to turn into quilts and mops(p.96).
Why: They are doing this because they are considered four olds and if they didn't and the Red Guards found out they would say they were hiding them.
No comments:
Post a Comment