Mrs. Schwartzman
Veronica Mayoral Writing Lab/ Period 4
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Both good and bad sides of Chairman Mao and the Cultural Revolution
DAZIBAO 梓皮包 Ji-Li Jiang is a counterrevolutionary because she has a maid named Song Po-Po who her family is exploiting. Chairman Mao’s rules clearly state that exploiting workers is extremely wrong. Ji-Li has had Song Po-po in her family for almost all her life and her family has been exploiting her! Ji-li Jiang has clearly abused her wealth.
Avoid the scolds and destroy the four olds! 加入毛主席 You can easily help the famous Chairman Mao! Everytime you see the four olds (old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits), you must report it immediately to one of the wonderful red guards! Join the hunt for counter revolutionaries today!
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I am Ji-li Jiang I am caring and smart. I wonder what is happening to my father. I hear people confessing for crimes they did not do. I see red guards abusing innocent people. I want my father back home. I am caring and smart. I pretend not to see people suffer. I feel that the revolution may be bad. I touch my precious red book and I think of the meaning behind it. I worry about my detained father. I cry about the red guards ransacking my house. I am caring and smart. I understand that China is changing. I say that Chairman Mao is great. I dream that people aren’t judged by their ancestors occupations. I try to avoid drawing attention to myself. I hope that one day we won’t be judged by our ancestor’s decisions. I am caring and smart
Chairman Mao makes you responsible for the actions of your spouse! He has his guards beating old ladies!
Joining the revolution means that you are willing to beat old women! Do NOT join the revolution!
The Diary of Grandma Cao May 28, 1966 My granddaughter, Ji li Jiang has been participating in many revolutionary activities. I am not elated with her active participation because Ji li was aiding in the destroying of the huge sign that belonged to The Great Prosperity Market. These poor people spent lots of their money on building the sign and they spent lots of money to buy that big sign. The sign should not be destroyed just because it falls into the categories of the four olds. The worst part is that Ji li Jiang was there supporting the destroying of the sign! I am not happy with the revolution and how it is destroying people’s signs that they work for. The revolution supports these harmful acts! I hope the revolution will soon be over so innocent people’s signs will not be destroyed.
June 1966 Today, Ji li recently discovered that my husband who died, was a landlord. She also discovered that her is a rightest. I feel bad that my husband’s old past has to affect her choices and effects where she stands in class. She is aggravated with me because of my husband’s past. Ji li told me that the kids in her class had a firm meeting with her stating how her ancestors went wrong but I don’t understand how that is relevant to Ji li and her life. Ji li came crying to me asking me if her grandfather was a landlord. I clearly told Ji li that even if her grandfather was a landlord, it would have nothing to do with her and how she excels in life. My son took the Jiang kids on a walk and explained to them our current situation.
December 1967 Fan entered the house covered in bruises and blood. He looked like a monster. I felt so bad, he was so hurt. He looked humiliated. The children kept trying to listen to what was going on. He was so badly injured that he was willing to confess to doing something that he did not do! I felt so much pity for him and i don’t think that he should confess to listening to foreign radio because he was not. Those mean red guards use psychological pressure to make people confess to things that they did not do. Later on, my son did not come home. He must have been caught by the red guards. Although i know that this activity is part of the four olds, I sat, and I prayed to Allah.
About the Author
I was born on October 5th, 2001 . My name is Veronica Anne Mayoral and I am thirteen years old. I live in Miami, Florida.. The book, The Red Scarf Girl written by Ji li Jiang affected my life significantly. because when hearing the national anthem, I did not take “the land of the free and the home of the brave� seriously until finishing this novel. I learned what it is like to be under the rule of a dictator. I also learned that freedom does not come easily. What really makes this even more tragic is that it is still occurring in other places and humans are making the same mistakes they did long ago..