The novel, Red Scarf Girl, shows a coming of age experience in the main character, Ji-Li Jiang also wrote a memoir about this experience. She goes through hard times in the Chinese Cultural Revolution, which was started by Mao Zedong (also known as Chairman Mao) in an effort to spread communism throughout China in the mid-twentieth century. Many people supported this, as Mao used propaganda to make people believe that the Cultural Revolution was very beneficial. Ji-Li’s family was rich, which was not supported during the time of the Cultural Revolution. The Cultural Revolution caused Ji-Li to have a coming of age experience as she went through the experiences. Her point of view is almost opposite from before the Cultural Revolution compared to after.
She had a positive attitude and point of view towards the Cultural Revolution at the beginning of the novel. Ji-Li, as well
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She even thought about risking her life, saying “Should I continue to live at all?” (Jiang 259). She hated the Cultural Revolution so much that she didn’t want to be alive anymore, which was a strong statement for Ji-Li to make. Instead of being a part of the Cultural Revolution, she wanted to take care of her family, as she mentions talking about helping her family she thinks, “Once my life had been defined by my goals: to be a da-dui-zhang, to participate in the exhibition, to be a Red Guard. They seemed unimportant to me now.” (Jiang 263). The fact that Ji-Li was going against what the government wants shows freedom, a common element of coming of age stories. She also had a transformative experience, going from being happy to thinking about not living. She gains maturity that way, thinking about serious things, and learns life lessons about staying with her family. These are all ways that Ji-Li shows a coming of age experience in Red Scarf