Thursday, November 20, 2008

RSG: TRIAL PREP

RSG: Trial Prep

Trial of Chairman Mao: Witness Question Sheet
Directions: You as a witness are to write four questions and answers in the perspective of your character using the book as a reference. You should find passages from the novel in support of Chairman Mao OR evidence against him depending the side of the case you are representing. Remember to USE page numbers and POST these questions on your blog. Lawyers, use this document to create cross-examination questions. Two per character should be sufficient.

Character: Thin Face, Officer Ma

Student Name: Pratik Sarkar

1. Question: Why was Thinface influencing Ji-li to break up with her parents?

Answer: Thin face was influencing Ji-li to break up with her parents because her parents were causing her to have a bad class status. And he said that it wasn't Ji-Li's fault that she was born into a black family. But she can change that by changing her name. It would have been a good revolutionary action. (page # 191)

2. Question: Why did Officer Ma wanted Ji-li to change her name?

Answer: I wanted Ji-li to change her name to break all the relationships with her family because currently, she had a bad class status and as Mao says" You can't choose your class status and the family but you can make a clean break with your family. " I was supporting Ji-li to make a good revolutionary action, to make her Mao's child and also be an educable child. (pg#214-215)

3. Question: What did officer Ma think about Ji-li being there?

Answer: Officer Ma thought that Ji-li had came into his office to make a clean break with her family and suddenly he was relly freindly to Ji-li. But Ji-li did't like the suden freindliness so she left the office without even letting officer Ma know, and this was considered disrespectful. ( page #214-215)

4. Question: Why did Thin-Face search Ji-Li's house?

Answer: I searched Ji-Li's house because Ji-Li's family had a hidden incriminitaing letter against Mao Ze-Dong. I was being a good citizen and standing up for our leader. Ji-Li hid the letter and thought she could outsmart us. But she was wrong. (pg #248-249)

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Red Scarf Girl

RED SCARF GIRL Study Questions, G Block
RED SCARF GIRL by Ji-Li Jiang Study Guide for Prologue to Chapter 7 Answer Questions in complete sentences and in depth on another sheet of paper and include PAGE NUMBERS.1.

1) Who are the members of Ji-Li’s family? Describe her family home. What class status does her family belong to? What is the occupation of her father? Mother?

The members of Ji-Li's family: They are Ji-Yong as the younger brother (11years old), (p14), Ji-Yun (10 year old), Song Po-Po (the nanny/housekeeper), (pg14-15), mom and dad, Grandmother, (who used to be the principal), p14, Aunt and cousin, (they live downstairs and the cousin is You-Mei, p15, a cat called "little White", p17. You-Mei's baby (Hua-Hua). (pg.15).
Her family home is a big building in Shanghai, a French window and high ceiling, (p15), and had only one room. The apartment was warm, and bright, (p7). There was a private bathroom, as large as some people’s entire house, (p15-16). They lived on an alley, (p20). Mahogany table, (p16).
Family occupation: Her dad is an actor and her mom used to be an actor, (p13), (she now works at a sport store). Her Grandmother was vice-principal of her old school, (p14).
Her families class status: Upper middle class, (p16), (there family had a bigger place to live in and were more special). (p15), her Grandmother had a modern education.2.

2)What is Ji-Li’s life at school like? What special honor is Ji-Li picked for at school? Describe Ji-Li’s parents’ reaction.

Ji-Li's life at school: Ji-Li was expected to succeed in everything; She was able to excel (pg.1). They were accusing her and her best friends for spreading the "four olds" (pg34-36). Ji-Li scored a perfect score on a math test(pg.3). She had opportunities for dance training (pg.6))
What special honor is she chosen for?: The central liberation army arts academy choose Ji-Li for their dance troop. (pg.6).Her parent’s reaction: They said no. They said that they had political problems that were complicated (pg.10). Her mom said that the army would be strict (pg.8) Her father was first shocked then angry then over protected and discouraging (pg8-10). Solemn (pg.8)What does Ji-Li do instead? : She gives a note to the principal about how she cannot participate in the try-outs (pg.11).

3) What are the "Four Olds"? Provide with some examples of each and why they need to be destroyed. What does "prosperity" mean? Why is this considered a thought?

Answer:Four old: Four olds mean to destroy old ideas, old customs, old culture and old habits(pg.21)
Examples:Saying Good morning to teachers was a four old because its an old custom.(pg.35)Respecting teachers was a four old because it was an old idea.(pg.35)Gowns, colorful silk neckties were four olds because it was an old culture stuff.Prosperity means succesful or flouris espeacially in financially.It was considered as a bad thought because Mao said that it was a exploitation.(pg.25)

4) What is xenophile? Why was bad to be a xenophile in revolutionary China?

Xenophile: An xenophile is a person who loves only foreign things. (Pg 285).
Why it was bad to be one: It was bad to be an xenophile because during the revolutionary China Chairman didn’t want to use foreign goods and wanted everything to be made in China. (Pg 285)

5) What is Da-zi-bao? What are being done with them? Who is Jiang- Xi-wen? Why does Ji-li hang a Da-Zi-bao in her house?

Da-zi-bao: They are large posters which are hung outside some (Pg 276)
people’s house. And these are done to humiliate some other people. (Pg 38)
Jiang-Xi-wen: Jiang-Xi-wen is Ji-li’s aunt. (Pg 44)
Ji-li hangs a Da-Zi-bao outside her house: She does this because
When she went to school she had been accused of being a rightist. (Pg 39)



6) Why does Ji-li stop going to school after a while? (She has been accused of what)?

Stop going to school: Ji-li stopped going to school for a while because she had been accused of being a rightist. (Pg 52)

7) What is a rightist? Use your own words to briefly explain the process eling one’s and ideology.

Rightist: A rightist is a member of the conservative and which disagrees with the communist party. (Pg 283)
To remold one’s ideology: To remold someone’s ideology someone would think of some good things that communism brings in.(Pg 278)

8) What did Ji-li’s grandfather (her father’s father) do for living? How does this affect Ji-li’s life?

Ji-li’s grandfather: Ji-li’s grandfather was a landlord and this can affect Ji-li’s life because during the revolutionary China if anybody was the landlord then he or she would be considered as the top rightists.(Pg 62 to 66)