Juan Carlos Thomas - Literary Analysis - Week 5

Juan Carlos Thomas
Literary Analysis
Week 5
Chapters 13-15

Is the book’s structure chronological or does it move back and forth between past and present? Does the author use a single (first or third person) viewpoint or shifting points of view?  Why might the author have chosen to tell the story this way and how does it influence the reader’s understanding?

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The structure in how a book is written has a great impact on the reader's understanding of the story. The Red Scarf Girl is written in chronological order. This is because the author, Ji-Li Jiang is also the protagonist of the book. Since Ji- Li is sharing her experiences and memories during the Cultural Revolution, doing it in chronological order helps the reader understand why things are happening in the book. For example, on page 43, Ji - Li Jiang wrote " A few days later, when I got to school, I was told we were going to post da-zi-bao on the house of the bourgeoise living near the school ". This phrase supports the idea that the book is written in chronological order because she says " a few days later " and that tells the reader that an event is happening after the previous event.

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The point of view in which the auhtor writes a story also has an impact on the reader's understanding of the book. The author wrote Red Scarf Girl in a first person point of view because it is basically an autobiography. For example, on page 1, Ji-Li Jiang wrote " I was born on Chinese Year ". Instead of using " She ", JI-Li Jiang wrote " I " because she is writing in first person point of view. I think that the author decided to write this book in first person not only because because it is an autobiography but because it makes it easier for the author to write details and clearly explain the event that is happening and what she is thinking or feeling. Obviously the more detail, the easier for the reader to understand the story. In conclusion, the book is written in a first person point of view and chronological order to help the reader understand better.