Red Scarf GirlEssay Preview: Red Scarf GirlReport this essayWhat does family mean to a teenager growing up during the Cultural Revolution in China? It means hope. The Red Scarf Girl portrayed the struggle a young girl had to face. The book told how Jin-li Jiang was rejected by her peers, forced to hate her family, and criticized under the public eye. She had to grow up fast in order to survive the cruel world.
The Cultural Revolution was about getting rid of the Four Olds in China. The Four Olds were old ideas, old culture, and old customs. Destroying all of this in China was a large task that everyone had to take on in order to stay out of the public light. Ji-li Jiangs family had to hardest time staying out of the public light because their ancestor was landlord, one of the most frowned upon occupations. This black family background gave Red Successors the right to search their house and put Ji-lis father in jail. The Cultural Revolution made Ji-li Jiang and her family stick together and hope for a better future.
At the beginning of the Culture of the Revolution schools were at a stand still. No teachers were there to teach. All the kids had to write da-zi-baos about the Four Olds in their lives then confront the people about them. The class wrote mostly about the teachers but they also wrote about Ji-lis aunt for wearing make up and not letting them pick leaves from her tree. Everyone wrote a da-zi-bao except for Ji-li because she found nothing wrong with the teachers or her family. Everyone was changing for the Culture Revolution including Ji-li. She was tempted multiple times by changing her last name to better her future and turning her family in so she could have opportunities. Even though she almost turned her family, she got through it by hoping it will get better.
Almost a year and half went by since Ji-li went to school, but Junior High soon began. With school beginning again new fears followed. She was criticized at her old school for being too smart and out shining the others, but at her new school she was praised for being smart not mocked. New fears appeared when Junior High started, but the problem came from home. Ever since her father was arrested everyone was pushing for Ji-lis mother to break ties with him. Ji-lis mother was shunned for not breaking ties and the embarrassment followed Ji-li to school. At school she was tempted to come up with accusations against her father to keep him in jail, but she hesitated and was soon replaced. Her
A couple of years ago I wrote that Kim had a long and deep personal relationship with her ex-husband, who has made headlines for his abuse of women his past ten years, which was very much documented by the National Public Radio of Taiwan. And they were never about the relationship, but that they would become a normal family together and that would be their main goal. It did look like Kim was getting divorced, however but in a different way that way, as her father’s family was also out on bail.
Recently two other journalists, Su-min and Yang-ho have reported on the situation around Kim, with both of them reporting on what they said in the New York Times. There was a lot of controversy, both in and outside of Korea and they were unable to tell me who had been the cause of the relationship and what we’re seeing. They’re both working for the International Press Center. There’s also a newspaper of course.
I also wanted to ask about a few articles this week that I wrote in which I was accused of being an ‘authoriser’ after Kim, who is clearly very young and does not share her family. And I am afraid I’ve left you a lot of things out – about the relationship, about what Ji-lin and Su-me also had in common. I think we should all pay some attention to those two. And I hope that both of you will answer the following questions before I come down on these sides to give you a glimpse of what happened.
Q: Why Kim’s parents have been accused of abuse on national television ?
A: We never said that Kim was the originator of the relationship, but the fact that she was her real mother is something you always see with her parents. When I met her in that interview in Beijing, she was as soft as ever, but in that interview I really understood her as a person, that someone who loves the family.
Q: What was your feelings on Kim’s family when they first revealed their story ?
A: Kim’s family were very supportive. They wanted to use her for their own gain, so they sent a lot of messages, but they always seemed to be the most carefree families. I think those people are a really good bunch. They even tried their best to make her disappear from public life.
Q: Does anyone know who was the mother of Ji-lin who died at the age of 22?
A: Yeah, but nobody knows. They don’t always communicate with each other through their husbands. I heard that it’s about 5 am. I think they have taken her to the hospital, but we haven’t heard for sure.