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The red scarf Ji-li wears symbolizes her initial loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party. Soon after the Cultural Revolution begins, it drops out of the narrative, indicating Ji-li’s growing sense of betrayal at the hands of the Party. The red of the scarf symbolizes the blood of revolutionary martyrs who died bringing communism to China. Ji-li initially believes wholeheartedly in Party ideology and follows Chairman Mao’s sayings and directives with absolute faith. She wishes she could do more to show her zeal, like the early revolutionaries who risked their lives fighting in the Chinese civil wars. Instead, she throws herself into campaigns to root out the Four Olds. But as the Cultural Revolution gains momentum, Ji-li and her family find themselves labeled black for their landlord ancestors and Dad’s alleged rightist views. Meanwhile, the red scarf which Ji-li once wore with pride becomes a symbol of the social and political forces that seek to control and dominate her.
Red Scarf Quotes in Red Scarf Girl
The Red Scarf Girl quotes below all refer to the symbol of Red Scarf. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 2: Destroy the Four Olds!
Quotes
My friends and I had grown up with the stories of the brave revolutionaries who had saved China. We were proud of our precious red scarves, which, like the national flag, were dyed red with the blood of our revolutionary martyrs. We had often been sorry that we […] had missed our chance to become national heroes by helping our motherland.
Now our chance had come. Destroying the four olds was a new battle, and an important one: It would keep China from losing her Communist ideals. Though we were not facing real guns or real tanks, this battle would be even harder, because our enemies, the rotten ideas and customs we were so used to, were inside ourselves.
I was so excited […] There were many more important missions waiting for me. I felt I was already a Liberation Army soldier who was ready to go out for battle.
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Red Scarf Symbol Timeline in Red Scarf Girl
The timeline below shows where the symbol Red Scarf appears in Red Scarf Girl. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Prologue
...she should love and honor Chairman Mao even more than her parents. She wears her red scarf , the emblem of the Young Pioneers, with pride. Then, in 1966, when she is...
(full context)
Chapter 4: The Red Successors
...walk. They sit in the park, and Ji-li nervously fiddles with the ends of her red scarf as Dad explains their family history. Dad’s large family was once very wealthy, but by...
(full context)
