Red Scarf Girl: The Last

So here we are at last. I've come to the end of yet another book, although I'm only 2/3 of the way through this project. I start school tomorrow. In hindsight, I probably should have been doing this in June instead of indulging my denial that I actually have something to be doing. I will say, however, that thanks to this project, my novel intake has been halved at least. It's shameful, really. I've actually managed to find a way to dread reading. Well played, E/LA teachers, well played. You took something as wonderful as summer reading and soiled it for my entire break. I just hope you're all happy. At any rate, we're finally wrapping up Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jiang, and I must say I'm rather proud of myself for finishing a memoir this quickly. The question must, of course, be raised: why? What is the point of a person writing down their histories and selling them in the form of literature? What is it about these personal histories that fascinates so many people? What do we have to learn from them?

All excellent questions, hypothetical self. Shall we explore them?

Yes, other hypothetical self, I believe we shall.

Why are we so interested in the odd experiences of those who have come before us? I think we're born with a natural curiosity about what we don't know. Things like memoirs and historical fiction provide an opportunity to step back into a bygone era and experience the life as it once was. There is a certain allure to the past, in my opinion, particularly times that have been immortalized by pop culture or live in infamy. It certainly makes for good literature, when you can observe a tragedy from within. It gives a certain realism to the situation, I think, that can be lost in history books. Within a memoir's pages, you find the mind of someone who was truly there, their thoughts from their unique perspective that doesn't try to be all-encompassing. There's a relatable humanity to be found in giving the experiences a face rather merely reading a detached compilation of facts, and that gives memoirs an appeal that can be lacking in fiction. It's a real person's real experiences, and depending on the author and audience, that can have quite a personal impact. I know I was easily able to relate to Ji-li, because she's about my age (12-14) and is good in school. The same could be said for a fictional character, I will concede, but there's just something about the base knowledge that this is true adds more for me personally. I learned a lot about the Cultural Revolution through her eyes, more than I think I would have through other means.

Speaking of which, what do we have to learn from memoirs? Many of the more popular ones were written by people who are long dead, so how do they apply to us? I personally believe that history speaks just as much for the future as it does for the present. By looking back, we're able to look forward. Confused? Look at it this way: by observing past mistakes and triumphs, we can prepare for similar fallacies to come. I believe it is almost inevitable that we'll make the same mistake twice; after all, to err is human. By keeping written records of our past from the minds of those who lived it, we will inevitably be confronted by our failure to learn. Call me a cynic (you  wouldn't be the first) but I don't think this will be the last time a dictator will try to remold a culture completely and be met with minimal resistance. I think one of the main points of this story is to show how easily people can be taught and believe something that, to an outsider, seems completely ridiculous. It's just like what happene with Nazis and their supporters; people are essentially brainwashed. They have almost no choice but to believe what they're constantly told, and that blind faith creates radicals.

My goodness, I just went off on another massive tangent.

The real point is, we can learn from past experiences. By looking to how a person or people overcame hardship or danced in glory, we can learn to do the same. In memoirs, you can storm the beaches of Normandy with a D-Day soldier and know just what he was thinking. You can get inside the brilliant mind of Helen Keller, and see the world through blind eyes, and learn to find beauty in everything. I believe that even fantasy has limitations because it must be convincing to be appreciated; in the realm of nonfiction, you can stretch the mind and explore the far reaches of perception, because every word is mind-blowingly true. You're not trying to solve the mystery or defeat the villan, you're sitting down with someone who has walked the world and you're seeing your life in an entirely new way. Red Scarf Girl has truly made me grateful to live in a country where I don't have to worry about persecution, or raids, or dictators for that matter. Most of all, it taught me about the endurance of the human spirit. I could ramble on and on about the strength it takes to overcome everything Ji-li went through, but I'll simply end with this: "I could not give up or withdraw, no matter how hard life became. I would hide my tears and my fears for Mom and Grandma's sake. It was my turn to take care of them." (pg. 263)