Red Scarf Girl is a historical memoir written by Ji-li Jiang about her experiences during the Cultural Revolution of China, with a foreword by David Henry Hwang. Ji-li Jiang was very important in her classroom and was respected until 1966 when the Cultural Revolution started. In Red Scarf Girl, Ji-li was at the top of her class and the da-dui-zhang, or Student Council President, of her school. However, her father prevents her from auditioning for the Central Liberation Army Arts Academy due to their political status, which she had no knowledge of at the time. Her family is considered a "Black Family," because her grandfather was a landlord and her father was considered a "rightist", though her father reassured her that he is not. Many people accuse Ji-li of her family's old ways, or "Four Olds" and the "Five Black Categories" that Chairman Mao Zedong protests against. Ji-li must deal with the difficult choice between her educational and political future or her family. This book describes her experiences with the Cultural Revolution, including being betrayed by her classmates, helping to destroy the Four Olds, attempting to become a Red Guard and the constant terror of arrest. Though, towards the end, Jiang Ji-li realizes that her goals no longer define her but rather her responsibilities. Development Jiang decided to write while she was in a training program for managing hotels; she felt inspiration from reading the Diary of Anne Frank while at university but at the time did not have sufficient free time to begin writing on her own. She cited a goal to educate Americans about China as a motive for writing the book. Summary At the setting, during the summer, the Cultural Revolution has just begun. The story scopes on Ji-Li Jiang, the main character of the story. Ji-li is very happy and excited when a Liberation Army Officer comes to her school and shows her approval of Ji-li's handstand. Principal Long invites her and other students to audition. She passes the test and is very excited to tell her parents about the good news. However, Ji-li is dissuaded by her parents, who know their "black" background will prevent her from making it in, and everyone at school will know her family's political status. The Campaign Against the "Four Olds" is illustrated when she, her younger brother and sister, her friends, and her classmates watch as a crowd tears