Questions and Answers, Ji- Li (Ambrin)

1. How has Mao’s revolution and his rules effected your life? Can you give some examples? Did this create any problems between you and your family or friends? If so, how?

Mao's revolution and rules have effected my life in a negative way. Some incidents that have occurred because of Chairman Mao,the revolution and his rules are; as shown on pg.9 and 10 I wasn't able to participate in the Liberation Army Performing Troupe because my father had told me that our family has political problems and if they inquired in to our family background not only will we not pass the test but our family political problem will be revealed. Another incident as shown on pg.58 is that I don't get elected as a red guard because my I belong to a black family. I had a grand-father who was a landlord and I had never seen him before. He had died for over 30 years but I was still accused of being related to him, and wasn't elected as a red guard, which was my dream.
This revolution and Mao and his rules really created a problem in my life. The problems that it created in between my family and me were; as shown on pg.214-215, when my mom was very sick, I had been persuaded and mentally pressured to change my family name. And when I went to do this horrible thing officer Ma told me that I had to break with my family to get my last name changed, but thats not what I wanted. Thank fully I was in my senses and left that place. Now that I think about it, I could never hurt my parents, at least not purposely. The problem that I had with my friends was that their were people who I were friends with me before this revolution started and before they new about my black family backgroumd and after they found out, they ended up writing a Da-zi-boa about me. This was shown on pg.48-50. This was only because of Mao's "Five Black Categories". All my friends were brain washed. They made up things that had nothing to do with the revolution and still tied that negative thing with my class status. Also on page 179, my grand-ma tells me about my dad getting locked up and not returning home from the strugge meeting. I was shocked and it was Chinese New Years Eve. Normally everyone would be excited and now the whole house was depressed. Mom fell sick. All of his was literally mental torture for me.


2. Did you ever feel that Mao's doing something wrong? If so, were there any incidents related to it?

Yes. I did feel that Mao was wrong at times, but I didn't want to express my self or else I would have been humiliated more. One of the incidents where I felt this, was on pg.108, where Old Qian was beaten up by the Red Guards. It was very harsh. I know I felt very bad but I didn't show my feelings, because or else one of the supporters of this action would accuse me and humiliate me by bringing up my class status and parents.



3. You were a very bright and intelligent student. Did you ever get stopped on going further in your education because you were a "black whelp?" Explain how? Did this pressure you a lot?

Yes. I was stopped many times. As shown on pg.228, I didn't get to participate in the class exhibition because I had a black family background. Even though my presentation was really good and everyone enjoyed it. This pressured me very badly. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I suffered a lot mentally.

Questions and Answers, Ji-Li’s mother (Clauia)

1. How did the Cultural Revolution affect your life?
Answer: It made me feel scared every second of every day. I was afraid that the Cultural Revolution would get so bad that my children would be taken away. Every day I felt sad and sometimes a little bit angry because of my husband's background. I don’t understand why my husband’s background has to do with anything that has to do with my children and me. I have been accused of being a landlord’s wife because of my husband’s dead father. Being accused of being a landlord's wife made me feel very angry and upset because my family and I were NOT wealthy and I did not own any land, my husband and I had to work just like any other family hat to. In other words my family lived a pretty normal life. I also feel ashamed and sometimes embarrassed that my children, especially Ji-Li, cant participate in being a Red Successor or in class exhibitions because of her class status.(page 57-58, 228, 253

2. How do you feel about Mao?
Answer: As said on page 26 through 27 I was not enthusiastic about the "Destroying of the Four Olds". I knew that my family (husband’s background) had a bad past (background). I did not want to get involved into the event because I was afraid that somebody would find out about our family background and possibly ransack our house for Four Olds I would lose all of my family heritage backgrounds. I am not happy with what Mao has done. (Page 26-27)

3. Why did you keep your family heritage items all of those years, why was it sad to destroy them?
Answer: I kept my family heritage items all of these years because they were just too nice to throw away, so me and my mom kept them in old trunks. It was sad to cut them up because they were part of my family; they were part of my life. When I had to cut them up that meant that I was cutting up my family, I was cutting up my life. In addition I or my mom couldn’t feel sad about them because they were four olds. (Page 96-97)

Important Blogs

Mrs. Cook
http://www.rachelcook08.blogspot.com/

Ms. Page
http://mspageaisd.blogspot.com/

Grandmother (Rowan) Trial Questions and Answers

Grandmother- Rowan Gaskell

1. How have you been affected by your husband's landlord status? And you being labled by Mao as a landlord's wife. What were the difficulties?

I have been affected by my husband's landlord status by how we are a black family because the red guards, people, Ji-Li's "class mates" and Mao himself think we are one because my husband was a landlord. (p 58).
I had to live in constant fear about everything. Like for example, i had to go hide the park because i was afraid that the officials would come and search for me. And we used a broom as a sign for warning. (p ).

2.How has your life changed since the cultural revolution?
-I got slapped (p254)
-"black" family
-sweep streets?
-I had to hide in the park
-afraid that the officials will come after me
-my old clothing and belongings destroyed


3. You have lived for some time, and you have seen China without Mao and with Mao. What do you think is the better way for China? With Mao or without?
Well, Mao has done some good things while he has been in China as the Chairman. But he has also done lots of terrible things to China and more importantly, my family and An-Yi's family. He has made my family destroy our lovely, beautiful dowry's, i got slapped by someone for being a landlord's wife, (p254) and Ji-li wasn't able to become a red guard because she is a landlord's grandaughter, (p58). Also Mao's followers wrote a da-zi-bao about Ji-Li and An-Yi's mother. I think China would be better off without Mao. We are not the only family he has ruined, but we are one of them.

Study Guide for Prologue to chapter 7.

Answer Questions in complete sentences and in depth on another sheet of paper and include PAGE NUMBERS.

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?

The members of Ji-Li's family are Ji-Yong as the younger brother (11years old), p14, Ji-Yun (10 year old), Song Po-Po (the nanny/housekeeper), p14-15, mom and dad, Grandmother, (who used to be the principal), p14, Aunt and cousin, (they live downstairs and the cousin is You-Mei, p15, a cat called "little White", p17. You-Mei's baby (Hua-Hua) pg.15.

Her family home is a big building in Shanghai, a french window and high ceiling, p15, and had only one room. The apartment was warm, and bright, p7. There was a private bathroom, as large as some peoples entire house, p15-16. They lived on an alley, p20. Mahagony table, p16. 

Family occupation: Her dad is an actor and her mom used to be an actor, p13, (she now works at a sport store). Her Grandmother was vice-principal of her old school, p14.

Her families class status: Upper middle class, p16, (there family had a bigger place to live in and were more special). p15, her Grandmother had a modern education.


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 life at school: Ji-Li was expected to succeed in everything, She was able to excell(pg.1). They were acussing her and her best friends for spreading the "four olds" (pg34-36). Ji-Li scored a perfect score on a math test(pg.3)
She had oppertunitys for dance training (pg.6)

What special honor is she choosen for?: The central liberation army arts academy choose Ji-Li for their dance troop (pg.6).

Her parents reaction: They said no. They said that they had political problems that were complicated (pg.10). Her mom said that the army would be strict (pg.8) Her father was first shocked then angry then overp protected and discouraging (pg8-10). Solemn(pg.8)

What does Ji-Li do instead? : She gives a note to the principal about how she cannot participate in the try-outs (pg.11).

3. What are the "Four Olds"? Provide some examples of each and explain Why they need to be destroyed. What does "prosperity" mean? Why is it considered an old thought?

Chairman Mao had decided that if you were going to make China a greater socialist country, you would have to get rid of the “four olds”: old ideas, old culture, old costumes and old habits. People were taking down the very expensive and beautiful sign outside of one of the most successful food stores in the city, “The Great Prosperity Market”. It was an “old idea” and “old culture” so now the name of the grocery store has to be changed, (p22.) Also a young man walked down the street with tight pants and pointed shoes. That was of course not allowed because it was “old costumes”. A boy came up to the man and tried to put a beer can up his pant leg, since he couldn’t (they were too tight), he cut the pants up to the knee because they were what “Western bourgeoisie admired”. (p30). The shoes were also cut, they were also “western” (neither good-looking nor comfortable). (p30).

          Prosperity means successes and wealth. To have “prosperity” as part of a shops title was considered an old thought Chairman Mao had said that such a name of a shop was exploitation. (p25). I think that he meant that that would be bad/ old advertising.

 4. What is xenophile?  Why was it bad to be a xenophile in Revolutionary China?

Xenophile (p) means a person who loves anything from another country. SUch behavior was considered disloyal to China. It was bad to be a xenophile in Revolutionary China because Mao believed that China could be greater than any other country. And that foreign countries were not as great. So it was disloyal to wear things from countries. That told others that you thought that China wasn't good enough.

5.What are da-zi-bao? What are being done with them?Who is Jiang Xi- wen? Why does Ji Li hang a da-zi- bao on her house?

Da-zi-bao's are signs that say things dealing with politics. They are painted in most cases. At Ji Li's school, these signs get made in all classes and hung up all over school. They even hang them on private homes. One woman for example wears makeup ( which is an xenophile) so they go to her house one day, knocks on her door and make her read all the terrible things about her on the da- zi- bao after them screaming and shouting bad things about her in her face. Ji li is forced to come along on this mission even though she doesn't want to, it is because Jiang Xi- wen is her aunt.

6. Why does Ji Li stop going to school for a while? (She has been accused for what?)

Ji Li stopped going to school for a while in the beginning because someone had put up a da-zi-bao about her having a relationship with one of her male  teachers. (p49)  It was  extremely embarrassing for her of course. 

The second time she stopped going to school was because she found out that her grandfather was a land lord (p58) which was absolutely forbidden. And everyone at school found out about it.

7. What is a rightist? Use your own words to briefly explain the process of remolding one's ideology.

A rightist is someone who doesn't believe that the Communist Party is doing the right things. People who are rightists are very disliked by the Party and the non rightists. So they don't want to reveal that they are rightists.

8. What did Ji Li's grandfather (her dad's father) do for a living? How does this affect Ji Li's life?

Ji Li's grandfather was a land lord. This affected  Ji Li because when people found out about it, her class decreased by the people around her.

Flex Day, (Question 4)

4. What does the word 'export' have to do with today's visit?

Export has to do with the visit, because everything they made at the two places we went (the factory and the office) was exported to another country. One of the biggest buyers was Gap. So they made the designs in England for example. Then the designs got sent to bangladesh where the garment factories make a few thousand of the different clothing. When they are done, they get sent back to England and the rest of the world where they get sold in the different Gap shops. So export is basically the delivery of the finished clothing, to other countries around the world. So all of this has to do with our visit because we actually had the opportunity to see the different clothing getting made, that will later on be exported. 

When I was in the factory, I noticed how everything got done so fast but neatly at the same time. I also noticed how the woman and men sowing, were placed in a line. So maybe the woman in the beginning was sowing a pocket to a pant which she later passed on tho the next person who did something else. And then at the end of this line the finished product came out where someone checked that everything was nicely sown. I think that this was an amazing experience. The only question that I still have is - Since there are so many woman workers there, Who takes care of their children?

Elliot's Expose

When Elliot writes about his experience with the Jock Rots and sends it out over the KidNet, he includes the following quote in his letter.

"I think people ought to realize that stuff like this goes on every day…The rest of you are all part of it-because you let it go on and maybe you think it's funny, or you think it only happens to geeky outsiders and kids who are smaller or fatter or skinnier or don't have so many friends or so much money as you. So tell me-what happens when you don't have so many friends one day, or you don't have so much money, or something bad happens to you?" (91-92)


Blog Question:
What is the message is he trying to get across to his classmates? (6pts)

The message that Elliot is trying to get out by what he wrote on KidNet (page 91-92) is that what is going on at Darkland middle school could happen to anyone. And he is asking other kids, what if you were the victim? What if you would be that someone who the bigger kids would hurt? And no one would help you. What would you do then? He is saying that this can happen to anyone, because when the wrong people find the week areas in a person they will have found their new bully victim. And when that happens... Well, there isn’t a lot you can do about it! So even if you aren’t being bullied doesn’t mean that you don’t have the responsibility to try to stop bullying whenever you can, because someday you might end up being that someone who needs help and then someone else might help you and stand up for you, just like how you would have stood up for someone before who was bullied.