How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"So what if I never listened to foreign radio broadcasts? They'll stop beating me if I confess to it, won't they? 'Leniency to those who confess, and severity to those who resist.' Look at my face, Lao Jiang. I can't stand it anymore." (11.21)
Uncle Fan considers just making up some stuff that he did wrong. Even though Ji-li's dad dismisses the idea, Uncle Fan is definitely serious, which shows just how bad things have gotten: He's actually considering fessing up to stuff he didn't do so the pressure is off.
Quote #8
What a terrible man, I thought, worse than a traitor. At least a traitor betrays people by telling the truth. Uncle Zhu tried to save himself by telling lies. (13.3).
Uncle Zhu is bad news in Ji-li's book. He lied. Notice how she calls him much worse than a traitor because he didn't tell the truth? This shows how valuable the truth has become to Ji-li, especially during the Cultural Revolution. There's so much change happening around her and she clings to the notion of truth.
Quote #9
"I am sure you can remember something if you think about it," Thin-Face said. "A man like him could not hide his true beliefs from a child as smart as you. He must have made comments critical of Chairman Mao and the Cultural Revolution. (14.36)
Ji-li is asked to lie about her dad. It doesn't matter whether she saw him do something bad or not—so long as she testifies that she saw something, it'll be good enough. It seems this sort of thing is happening often since no one is shocked or outraged by it. Well, no one except Ji-li, that is. She still yearns for the truth, even when no one else around her seems to care about it.