How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Ji-li, the fact is that our family will not be able to pass these investigations," he said slowly. "And you will not be allowed to be a member of a Liberation Army performing troupe." (1.32)
Huh? Ji-li isn't sure what her dad is talking about. They've never had any trouble before, so why would that start now? When her dad tells her not to try out, we catch some foreshadowing of what's about to happen. We know that social class will be really important in the book; we're just not sure how yet.
Quote #2
"Tight pants and pointed shoes are what the Western bourgeoisie admire. For us proletarians they are neither good-looking nor comfortable. What's more, they are detrimental to the revolution, so we must oppose them resolutely." (2.49)
As she watches the student inspector reprimand someone for wearing the wrong pants, Ji-li rushes home—she doesn't want to get publically humiliated for accidentally wearing the wrong thing. Here's the cherry on top of a not-so-delicious sundae: The guy bought the clothes at the government store. He's getting punished for shopping exactly where he's supposed to because people are just acting all revolution-happy at the moment. Gulp.
Quote #3
"Right! Those who don't have good class backgrounds shouldn't be elected," somebody else agreed. My heart fell. Class status. There was that phrase again. (4.18)
Check out the way Ji-li describes class status. The fact that she says "that phrase" shows us how much weight it carries for her. She dreads sharing her class status with everyone because she knows it will land her in the doghouse. It's a huge burden for her to carry, even at school.
Quote #4
He had been born into a large, wealthy family, he told us, with five generations, more than a hundred people, living together in one big compound. The family had once owned vast amounts of land, many businesses, and other kinds of property. (4.36)
When Ji-li's dad finally explains their family history to Ji-li, she's disappointed. She wishes her grandpa wasn't a landlord (read: exploiter) or rich dude. Again we're confronted with the unfairness of it all. Ji-li isn't punished for her own choices or actions; instead she's considered bad news for something her grandpa did before she was born.
Quote #5
"Your problems are very serious, you know. For instance…" He looked at the paper in his hand. "You and your grandmother often take a pedicab, which reveals your extravagant bourgeois lifestyle. And your family has a housekeeper. That's definitely exploitation." (4.73)
We like to think of this as a roast… only with much higher stakes. Ji-li is called out for taking a cab and having a housekeeper, two big no-nos under the new government. Her family hasn't committed some huge crime, yet they are still treated like dirt.
Quote #6
We had a bad class status. That was why An Yi was not allowed to wear mourning bands or even cry aloud for her grandmother. That was why my house was searched, and strangers could come in and do whatever they wanted. It was just a simple fact. Why should I ask why? There was absolutely nothing I could do to change it. (8.133)
As Ji-li tries to come to terms with her poor class status, she feels for her friend. All An Yi wants to do is mourn her grandma, but she's not allowed to because of their bad class status. It hardly seems fair. Yet Ji-li doesn't see the point in getting upset about it… or so she claims. She still gets pretty worked up about her class status sometimes.
Quote #7
"If you had to do it, you'd learn." I meant what I said. If Lin-lin's family had to live on just sixty yuan a month, and half of their clothes had been confiscated, she would learn to sew too. (12.12)
Oh, snap. Ji-li boldly tells her friend that sewing isn't a choice for her—she doesn't have enough clothes since the Red Guards took them away, so she has no other option. Ji-li isn't trying to be harsh or cruel; she's just pointing out that her social status has determined her actions.
Quote #8
"We cannot choose our families or our class sums. But we can choose our own futures." He spoke very slowly and clearly. "No, you are not a leader, but you are still an 'educable child.' You can overcome your family background." (12.41)
Wise words. Of course, these are meant to encourage Ji-li to separate from her family and join the party. Actually, though, they make her realize just how much hog-wash all this talk of class status really is. If you can't choose it, why should it matter? If it's pre-determined, why bother getting upset about it?
Quote #9
"The key is your class stance. The daughter of our former Party Secretary resolved to make a clean break with her mother. When she went onstage to condemn her mother, she actually slapped her face. […] The point is that as long as you have the correct class stance, it will be easy to testify." (14.34)
Translation? Testify against your dad, or we'll make life very difficult for you. What did her dad do, you ask? He was born to a wealthy landlord. Yep, that's it. Essentially, the Red Guards want to ship Ji-li's dad off to jail because he's of a better social class than they want him to be.
Quote #10
Our class status continued to hold us back. Because of our political background I was denied another opportunity to become a stage actress, just as Ji-yong was not allowed to become a trumpeter nor Ji-yun a singer. But we never gave up. (E.8)
Even after the Revolution is over, Ji-li and her family struggle because of their social class. There's no escaping it, which shows how ingrained these ideas about class status became in China.