reflection prompts (choose 2 to respond to)
1) what was the propaganda wall?
2) why were ji-li’s parents burning photographs in their bathroom?
3) what personal possession of ji-li’s is taken when the red guards search the family’s house? why is it confiscated?
4) what are some ways that red guards scared and humiliated people suspected of rightist or anti - revolutionary leanings (tendencies)?

Question

Accepted Answer

To answer these reflection prompts, we assume they are related to the novel *Red Scarf Girl* by Ji - li Jiang, which is set during the Cultural Revolution in China. Here are the answers to each prompt:

### Prompt 1: What was the propaganda wall?
# Brief Explanations:
In the context of the Cultural Revolution (as depicted in *Red Scarf Girl*), the propaganda wall was a public space (usually a large wall in a community or near important buildings) where revolutionary slogans, posters, and announcements were displayed. These walls were used to spread Maoist ideology, promote the goals of the Cultural Revolution, and denounce "enemies of the revolution" such as "rightists" or those with "anti - revolutionary" tendencies. They were a key tool for the Communist Party to control the narrative and mobilize the masses.
# Answer:
The propaganda wall was a public wall (often in communities or near key buildings) used to display revolutionary slogans, posters, and announcements to spread Maoist ideology, promote Cultural Revolution goals, and denounce "enemies of the revolution" during China's Cultural Revolution.

### Prompt 2: Why were Ji - li's parents burning photographs in their bathroom?
# Brief Explanations:
During the Cultural Revolution, having certain types of photographs (such as those of family members with "undesirable" backgrounds, or photographs that didn't conform to the revolutionary aesthetic or ideology) could be dangerous. Ji - li's family had a "bad" class background (her grandfather was a landlord). Burning the photographs was an attempt to destroy evidence that could be used against them. The bathroom was likely chosen because it had a source of heat (from the water heater or stove - like fixtures for heating water) and also because it was a more private space where they could try to do this without being easily seen. If the Red Guards (the revolutionary youth groups) found these photographs, they could use them as a pretext to accuse the family of being anti - revolutionary or having ties to the "old society" (the pre - Communist, "feudal" or "bourgeois" society).
# Answer:
Ji - li's parents burned photographs in the bathroom because their family had a "bad" class background (her grandfather was a landlord). These photos could be used against them by the Red Guards as evidence of ties to the "old society" or anti - revolutionary tendencies. The bathroom was a private, heat - source - containing space to do this discreetly.

### Prompt 3: What personal possession of Ji - li's is taken when the Red Guards search the family's house? Why is it confiscated?
# Brief Explanations:
Ji - li's violin is taken. The violin was seen as a symbol of the "old culture" (associated with bourgeois or feudal - era art forms) and not in line with the revolutionary, proletarian art that was promoted during the Cultural Revolution. Also, given Ji - li's family's "bad" class background, any item that could be associated with "bourgeois" tastes or the "old society" was a target for the Red Guards, who were tasked with destroying elements of the "old culture" and purging those with "bad" class backgrounds. The violin, as a Western - style musical instrument, was considered a part of the "decadent" old culture that the Cultural Revolution sought to eliminate.
# Answer:
Ji - li's violin is taken. It is confiscated because the violin is seen as a symbol of "old culture" (bourgeois - era art) which the Cultural Revolution sought to eliminate, and due to Ji - li's family's "bad" class background, items associated with "old culture" or "bourgeois" tastes were targeted by the Red Guards.

### Prompt 4: What are some ways that Red Guards scared and humiliated people suspected of rightist or anti - revolutionary leanings (tendencies)?
# Brief Explanations:
The Red Guards used several methods. They would conduct public "struggle sessions" where they would force the suspected person to stand on a stage or platform, bow their head, and be verbally abused, accused, and sometimes physically beaten in front of a large crowd. They would also ransack people's homes, destroying or confiscating their property, which was both a financial and emotional blow. They would force people to wear signs or dunce caps with humiliating labels (like "rightist" or "anti - revolutionary") and parade them through the streets. They also used psychological tactics, like threatening to harm family members or take away their jobs, to instill fear. Additionally, they would publish "blacklists" or put up posters denouncing these people, which isolated them socially and made them fear for their safety and the safety of their families.
# Answer:
The Red Guards scared and humiliated suspected rightists/anti - revolutionaries by: 1) Holding public "struggle sessions" where they verbally/physically abused them in front of crowds. 2) Ransacking homes, destroying/confiscating property. 3) Forcing them to wear humiliating signs/dunce caps and parading them. 4) Using psychological threats (e.g., harming family, job loss). 5) Publishing blacklists/posters to isolate them.

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QUESTION IMAGE

Question

Explanation:

Prompt 1: What was the propaganda wall?

Answer:

Prompt 2: Why were Ji - li's parents burning photographs in their bathroom?