The Four Olds

This poster symbolizes the Four Olds being removed from society. The words being crossed out are as listed from left to right: Collective Memory, The Old City, Cantonese, and Old Guangzhou Natives. The item that the man is pointing out is a ram; the ram is a symbol of Guangzhou.

Chairman Mao wanted to destroy the Four Olds in order to "build a strong socialist country." The Four Olds stood for old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits. He made the people believe that the Four Olds lead to evil and that they had to be removed. 
 

We can relate this to Red Scarf Girl because in Chapter Two, they witness the campaign to destroy the Four Olds in Action. They took part in destroying the sign board of a store and they thought that it was the right thing to do. Then, on their way home, they changed the slogans on other signs because they thought it was a fourold. In the end, Ji-Li thinks to herself that they were proud of what they had done and they thought it was bringing a new life to China. (25)