Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution

JJJJJ

My View:   The book is a fantastically innocent view of the Cultural Revolution in Communist China. While the Revolution is generally viewed from an analyze-and-criticize viewpoint, this is open honesty about the brainwashing which Chairman Mao forced on all of the Chinese people, and explains how people fell for his tricks. The little girl's mind is a frightening place to be while she is brainwashed, but to fully understand how Mao used his overwhelming power to completely take over the minds of his people, it is important to see it from the mind of a child.

Wikipedia Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Scarf_Girl

Link: http://www.jilijiang.com/red-scarf-girl/index.html

General Information:

Method of Reading:	Public Library paperback novel, 307 pages
Dates of Reading:	June 24, 2009-June 25, 2009
Author:	Ji-li Jiang
Publication Year:	1998
Recommended To:	This book was assigned reading to my little sister as she went into 7th grade. I can hardly, however, imagine a 12-year-old experiencing the same emotional effects that I underwent while reading this book. I would recommend it, at the earliest, to 8th graders. While I'm sure a younger student will understand it and develop harsh opinions against Communism, they may not understand the personal struggles of the family.
Quotes:	"The melted ice dripped down the window slowly and crookedly, like tears" (183). "What a terrible man, I though, worse than a traitor. At least a traitor betrays people by telling the truth. Uncle Zhu tries to save himself by telling lies" (207).
Movie?	Although the plot has potential, the young target audience would probably not be ready for visuals of the cruelties described in the book (it would need an older audience goal, not matching that of the book). Also, extremely skilled young actors would be needed to portray the deep emotions expressed by the young children in the book.

Always,
Your Bibliomaniac


Bibliographic info:

• Jiang, Ji-li. Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1997. Print.
• "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-li Jiang." Books We Love. N.p., 14 June 2012. Web. 28 July 2013.