Line Illuminator #2- Sophia S

So far this book has brought many quotes that really startup discussion in my opinion. They ask a lot questions that make you ask even more questions, or make predictions. I have really enjoyed it so far and picked two quotes with really good questions.

"The more I read, the more puzzled I became. Did the teachers really intend to ruin our health and corrupt our minds? If so, why hadn't I ever noticed? Was I so badly taken in that I was unable to see them for what they really were?" pg. 70

This quote really made me wonder about the whole da-zi-bao situation. Ji-li really did not want to write anything critical about her teachers. She always thought they taught her well and rarely made no mistakes. I mean we all make mistakes, and for people to write them and point them out just makes you have less confidence. And when Ji-li saw all the horrible and critical things on the walls of the school, she really started to wonder if the teachers were teaching them badly on purpose. If they really wanted them to suffer in the real world. But that is not true. From what I've seen in the book the teachers seem to really care about their students and doing the da-zi-bao makes them feel like they are doing a horrible job. And also would you want to write something bad about your teacher like in the book? Because we all have one thing that a teacher does that you wish you would write down about it and not get in trouble. Do you think that writing those horrible things will help the teachers? No because all your doing is just bullying them because you think they were hurting you on purpose. Teachers really don't want to do that, they just want to shape us into better students. And I think Ji-li really notices that and is not like the other students. Because there is a difference between constructive criticism and just being criticized. So I think this whole da-zi-bao thing is really not helping teachers and even students became better.

This is what I think the da-zi-bao is trying to do but failing.
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"I went numb. I stared at her, unable to hear another word. Was this the person I knew?" pg. 105 

I chose this quote because it really showed the message the chapter. Because Ji-li got nominated to be a red successor which is an honor. But unfortunately she did not get chosen because her grandfather was a landlord and that is worse than being a criminal. It seems like her whole life is going wrong. And she is being criticized for something she did not even do, and by her friends. Like I said in my last post I think the cultural revolution is teaching young kids bad lessons. They think that it is ok to bully someone just because they made a mistake or because their relative made a mistake. It is not her fault her grandpa was a landlord. I mean she did not even know him. And Ji-li can't even talk to her favorite teacher because she is scared she would get in trouble for it. I mean it is ridiculous, the people that she thought were her friends are now people she is extremely afraid of.  And now I think she is noticing what the cultural revolution is doing to her former friends. How once nice people became such dictators who think they rule the school. So I feel like Ji-li is starting to lean towards being against the cultural revolution. But would you change if you got chosen? Would you be strong enough to criticize your best friend and tell them that they are doing everything wrong?

These kids look happy that they got chosen to bully people on their mistakes.
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