Line Illuminator: Julianna Mello

Line #1: That year the Cultural Revolution Started.

This was the ending line of chapter one. In the prologue you can tell that Ji-li is a very optimistic girl. That is until I read this last line. She also informed the audience that at this time she was just 12 years old, which makes sense to me because usually the younger you are the happier. The line speaks out that she is positive although there’s going to be many difficulties in the way of her getting where she wants to be. The Cultural Revolution began in 1966 it was launched by China’s Communist leader Mao Zedong, organized to take charge over the Chinese government. The revolution then ended in 1976.  This gives me many clues on what the book is going to be about, it also intrigues me into wondering who a optimistic girl keeps positive in such a dark time.

Line #2:  Chairman Mao our beloved leader, smiled down at us from his place above the blackboard.

 I found this line very interesting as it tells me that she and the other children call their everyday teacher their beloved leader. I understand that in school the teacher is the classes leader but the way she states it is very different to what I may think. This may mean that in this time teachers had much more power over their students. As in their time school had very harsh punishments. Education has always been very important in some ways your life may depend on it. In many ways education is what helps human beings to move on with their lives. I believe in this. Although I also feel the teachers shouldn’t be called leaders in this context. 

Red Scarf Girl - Line Illuminator - Felipe M.

s.

Job: Line Illuminator

Chapters:  6, 7, 8 and 9

Red Scarf Girl

Ji-Li Jiang

       1#: " Master nuclear weapons, scare the american barbarians"
       This fragment shows that, at the time, people started to not only follow the revolution but people started to become extremists and became ignorant regarding other countries that didn't follow the socialist regime. In my opinion, when there is a big change happening like a cultural revolution or a drastic change in political power, people tend to get involved too much and start to become, in a way, obsessed with this cause. This "obsession" can also lead to ignorance because people start to not have an open mind and they start to think that what they are doing is the best option. Also, the government wants people to think in a way so everybody is persuaded into believing in the cultural revolution. This is exactly what is happening in the book, the government probably made a propaganda so everybody would think that americans are a threat.

       2#: " Then we were all standing up, all shouting. " Long live Chairman Mao!"
       In this sentence, little kids are supporting Chairman Mao even though they probably don't even know what he is doing or what he is going to do. This fragment shows a enormous parental influence, for example; a parent likes a certain political character and persuades his child to like him to. This also happens nowadays, you parents can like a certain candidate for an election a you will probably think he is the best option only because of your parent.

Line Illuminator Jason Hyun

“Don’t do the audition, Ji-li.” page 24

    When Ji-Li's father says this we can clearly see that the climax of the book is rising because after dad says this, he tells Ji-li that their family has a problem in their political background. Moreover he tries to keep that background a secret from other people. Therefore, I believe that a conflict of some sort will take place because of Ji-li's families background.
   My prediction for their families secret of their political background is that their family might be a rebel to China's communism. In other words, their family might have believed in capitalism which is a type of governing structure that believes in diversity with opportunities. What I mean by diversity with opportunities is that in a country that believes in capitalism, there might be difference in economy status but everyone will have opportunities. 


"It’s very complicated, and
you wouldn’t understand it now even if I told
you. Maybe we should wait until you’re grown
up. The point is that I don’t think you’ll be
admitted. So just drop it, all right?”page 25

 When dad said this to Ji-li I thought that the secret that their family might threaten their safety because I think that if their family's secret wasn't that big and important I believe that dad would already have told Ji-li the secret. Moreover if I connect this to my life, I can connect it to when my dad tried to keep his gigantic secret about his salary away from me.

Red scarf girl - Line Illuminater- Anna Farnes

One of the passages that I thought was really good is on (page, 1). "I was happy because I was always loved and respected. I was proud because I was able to excel and always expected to succeed." I think that this passage has a lot of meaning in it, Because it talks about how most people are happy  because they feel loved and they feel like they have have the ability to succeed because others believed in them. Or even if you just believe in yourself, that can make all the difference. I think that once we believe in ourselves and we have the love and hope from others we have the capability to do extraordinary things.

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Another passage that I thought was good is on (page, 18) And It says: "I thought about my beautiful dreams and wondered if they would drift away just like those lovely soap bubbles." I think that most times in life that we often wonder what are dreams will come to be. And we wonder if they will come true, or if another dream will take place in our life. Most people have a fear of having their dreams not becoming a reality. When really, most dreams are supposed to drift away, and an even better one will be on its way. 

Line Illuminator- Brantley Wren

Red Scarf Girl
Ji-Li Jiang
Line Illuminator
Chapters 13-Epilogue


"The letter complained about the situation in the theater. The faction in power, the Rebels, did whatever they wanted, ignoring the policy directives from the Central Committee of the Party, the letter said. They treated people with nonpolitical problems, like Aunt Wu, as class enemies, and they had humiliated her, shaving half of her head in a yin-yang hairdo. They frequently beat their prisoners and had already beaten two to death. They even recorded the screams and moans of the prisoners being tortured, and played the tapes to frighten other prisoners under interrogation."

This passage is greatly important in this book because it tells of the horrors that went on in China that Ji-Li's mother knew about but horrors that Ji-Li was oblivious to until now.

"After a long while the young man went into the bathroom. No one else was watching us. Mom whispered in my ear, "Where's the letter?" "In Little White's litter box. Are you going to tell them?" Mom shook her head hesitantly. She looked at Grandma and murmured, "I'm afraid she can't stand any more. It looks like they won't give up till they find it.""

This paragraph is important to the story because it creates suspense and anxiety about what is going to happen next. Will ThinFace find the letter? Will Ji-Li's family be punished? There's no way of knowing unless you keep reading.