The theme of survival means to live even if there are many difficult obstacles ahead you have to face such as extreme temperatures and family members dying/leaving you. In this book, Ji-Li Jiang (main character) has to live in China while Chairman Mao starts the ‘Cultural Revolution’. He changes the laws and rules which makes Ji-li’s life more difficult. Also, her dad is arrested, leaving her moderately depressed, and she doesn't have a chance to become as successful because of the new revolution (Ji-Li has a black family history).
Ji-Li Jiang survived in challenging environments where there was the Red Guards and her family had to burn down pictures of “Four Old” clothing being worn. Back then, her grandmother wore clothing that were considered as fourolds because it was from the (old) past so they burned pictures of that. They hid fourold items by either painting it, or
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According to the novel, Ji-Li’s grandma was forced to sweep alley and her dad was detained because of the Cultural Revolution. In the beginning, she thought life was great because of her good grades and the admiration of her classmates. Now, after everything fell apart, she thinks that life is actually very difficult since she had to take care of her mother, had limited income, and since she had classmates who gossiped and humiliated her. The time influenced Ji-Li by making her know what was happening since she would see her neighbors beaten by the Red Guards or have store signs taking down because of the revolution and new laws. The place influences a person’s identity development by making them compare or think about their laws and place with other locations. This is because, Ji-li would think she was the happiest girl while living in China and was proud about Chairman Mao and the Cultural