Prologue - The Red Successors
This just so happens to fall on Chinese New Year.
What is Ji-li's birthday?
After learning that she couldn't audition for the dance academy because of a family political problem, Ji-li wanted to run and hide and lick her wounds, like ________, the family cat, did once when he was injured.
Dad was afraid Ji-li wouldn't pass the background check and people would become aware of their family's "political problem."
Why didn't Ji-Li's father want her to audition for dance training?
Mao Zedong launched a campaign for a Communist China that became known as this...
What was the Chinese Cultural Revolution?
Ji-li's BFF, whose mom is a teacher.
Who is An Yi?
She is the family's nanny-turned-housekeeper; she was like a second grandmother to the Jiang children.
Who is Song Po-po?
Ji-li's most treasured possession.
What is her stamp collection given to her by her Grandmother.
You have less rights and are treated worse than other citizens.
What does it mean to be categorized as a "black family"?
These high school-or-college-aged students were deeply inspired by Chairman Mao. They were so loyal to him that they took it upon themselves to enforce Chairman Mao's directives by uniting in a group.
Who were the Red Guards?
What is "Jiang's Salon"?
He is a stage actor at the Children's Theatre; he's very intelligent and loves sharing his knowledge with others.
Who is Jiang Xi-reng, Ji-li's father?
This sound meant that the Red Guards were on their way to ransack someone's home.
What are the sound of drums and gongs?
Why does Ji-Li hate her family background?
It prevents her from doing things that she wants to do and kids are giving her a hard time about it at school.
Elementary or middle school students aspiting to be Red Guards formed this group.
Who are the Red Successors?
A sketchy, lazy fellow who is chairman of the new neighborhood Dictatorship Group.
Who is "Six-fingers" (Mr. Ni)?
She founded Xin Er Primary School and was a respected teacher for many years before retiring to help take care of the Jiang children while their parents worked.
Who is Grandma (Grandma Cao)?
Ji-li grows nervous as she witnesses her first home raid because she realizes that her parents have the same ___________ as Mr. Rong, which was being confiscated for being fourolds.
What is a mahogany four-poster bed?
If you were labelled as one of these, you would likely be sentenced to sweep the alley multiple times a day.
What is a landlord's wife?
Ji-li had had many dreams before the Revolution began. One day on her way home, she compares her dreams to ________________, because they are fragile and can pop at any given moment.
What are soap bubbles?
The two bourgeois people to whom Ji-li's classmates visited to present their da-zi-bao.
Who are Old Qian and Jiang Xi-wen?
These are propaganda posters used to attack and humiliate people and systems.
What surprising reform was announced at the end of the school year? (Hint: it has to do with where students will go to high school).
Junior high exams were abolished, meaning everyone graduates, regardless of grades, and anyone could go to any highschool.
This prevents Ji-Li from being a Red Successor.
What is her political situation and class status?
Ji-li stayed home from school because she was so embarrassed and upset by a ___________ written about her, which implied this situation.
What is a da-zi-bao?
What is having an inappropriate relationship with a male teacher?
In the beginning of the memoir, it is clear that this person is at the top of Ji-li's Universe of Responsibility.
Who is Chairman Mao Ze-dong?