Art Is A Powerful Tool

The autobiography, Mao’s Last Dancer written by Li Cunxin, is effective in raising awareness of the injustice the Chinese people experienced during Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution and later communist policies in China. When Li’s parents got married in 1946, they were not living in poverty. However, when the Japanese invaded China during WWII and forced all the civilians into communes, Mao then kept these communes and the Li family lost their wealth—they faced injustice and marginalisation. The Chinese population were marginalised by Mao’s use of communist principles and propaganda. They were forced into believing Mao’s views—that the West (Capitalist countries) were filthy and bad, while China was good. Li’s visit to America was an eye-opener.

The eighteenth-century German philosopher Johann Wolfgang van Goethe is quoted as saying: “None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free”. If Goethe, who died in the early 1800s, could have looked forward a hundred and twenty years to Mao Zedong’s Communist China, he would have doubtless seen his words ring painfully true. Mao’s dynastic rule survived on elimination of any thought deemed contrary to his own. Those who dared to speak out were dealt with swiftly and severely. Yet some people did not believe they were free, and were willing to do risk everything to subvert Mao’s manufactured culture. “The Mao Button”, “Black Walls”, and “Dogshit Food” are short stories that criticize the

The cultural revolution is a strange period in Chinese history laced with intense struggle and anguish. The cultural revolution mobilized the all of society to compete for all opposing factions that they belonged to (Ong, 2016). Mao mobilized the young people of society during a background of political turmoil, which helped Mao to mobilize the students in order to enforce his political legitimacy and ideas (Ong, 2016). Mao’s charismatic authority created his personality cult and most defiantly leant a helping hand in mobilizing the red guard movement (Ong, 2016) (Weber, 1946) (Andreas, 2007). No matter which faction of the red guard they belonged to, they all mobilized against their common enemy; the better off, upper class. (Ong, 2016). Multiple ideologies within the youth led red guard movement explain why the movement gained momentum and became incredibly powerful (Walder, 2009).

In the years of 1966 to 1976, Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong initiated a social-political movement in China that is known as “The Proletarian Cultural Revolution”, also called the Cultural Revolution. The main purpose was to perpetuate communist beliefs with a twist of Maoism (Mao’s own way) in China. Traditional Chinese values, capitalism perspectives, and other ideologies were demolished by Mao and other party leaders. Consequently, China was deteriorated economically, socially, and politically by the Cultural Revolution. Specifically, one of the crucial methods used by the Chinese government for propagandas is posters; it was artistic and constructed posters within its vast but restricted media. Respectively, due to the indoctrinations within the propaganda posters, it resulted in enormous negative impacts in China.

Some of the most redefining and revolutionary moments in the history of man socially, have been catalyzed by use of art. Throughout the age’s music, imagery and poetry have been a fundamental tool in reaching out to the masses to condemn vices, motivate people and bring awareness. One cannot underestimate the impact that art has in influencing and communicating an idea to the people. Art is an integral ingredient in the cohesion and integration of any society. Through poetry, the poet is able to put across a message that resonates in the minds of the reader in an artistic manner that ultimately triggers a response. Art is therefore a force to reckon with in the transformation of a society or a regime.

Today, throughout most of China, the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution is realized as one of the most chaotic and deadly times in chinese history; often referred to as the “ten lost years.” However, during the revolution, many hopeful individuals sought after change and looked toward Mao as

In Jan Wong’s entrancing expose Red China Blues, she details her plight to take part in a system of “harmony and perfection” (12) that was Maoist China. Wong discloses her trials and tribulations over a course of three decades that sees her searching for her roots and her transformation of ideologies that span over two distinctive forms of Communist governments. This tale is so enticing in due part to the events the author encountered that radically changed her very existence and more importantly, her personal quest for self-discovery.

The majority of the book looks deep into Mao’s Cultural Revolution, the main focus was Mao’s campaign was created with the simple means to destroy China’s history of hopes of a free and pure culture that would separate itself from the old Chinese culture which existed before during 1949. We will mainly focus on Liang’s treacherous life, and the obstacles he endured in spite of Mao’s Cultural Revolution, we look at the different events in which led up to the Cultural Revolution and the purpose of Mao’s culture Revolution.

When people hear the name “Mao Zedong”, they immediately think of a stubby communist dictator responsible for the death of millions. Although many of his reforms failed and millions died, many argue that he his “good” outweigh his “bad”. He saved the ailing nation of China, molding it to the nation it is today.

Mao’s Cultural Revolution was an attempt to create a new culture for China. Through education reforms and readjustments, Mao hoped to create a new generation of Chinese people - a generation of mindless Communists. By eliminating intellectuals via the Down to the Countryside movement, Mao hoped to eliminate elements of traditional Chinese culture and create a new form Chinese culture. He knew that dumbing down the masses would give him more power so his regime would be more stable. This dramatic reform affected youth especially as they were targeted by Mao’s propaganda and influence. Drawing from his experiences as an Educated Youth who was sent down to the countryside Down to the Countryside movement, Ah Cheng wrote The King of

“All art may be propaganda, but not all propaganda is art” observes Lu Xun, a leading figure in Modern Chinese literature. During the 1970s there was a lot of propaganda to control the masses, but nowadays oppression is more widespread in the form of controlling people’s internet usage.

The author uses Xu Sanguan as an example to show how disillusioned people became because of Chinese propaganda. After realizing the impact and change the Cultural Revolution had brought on, Xu Sanguan states, “I’m only just now starting to understand what the Cultural Revolution is all about. It’s actually just a time for settling old scores. If someone offended you in the past, now’s the time to write a big-character poster about him”(Hua 164). Here Xu Sanguan attempts to validate the events of the Cultural Revolution. Although the process of the Cultural Revolution has been going on, it’s intentions are finally becoming clear to Xu Sanguan. Xu Sanguan’s tone is one of rationalization and dedication. For Xu Sanguan, events that are perpetuated by the Cultural Revolution are ways to help improve the country. Public humiliation becomes a way to solve problems of the past. Unfortunately, this causes China to become divided within it’s own people because everyone is seen as a potential threat to the country. Xu Sanguan embodies the loyalty Mao was able to cease on the people of China through its propaganda and empty promises. “Mass Persuasion in Communist China” by Frederick T.C Yu analyzes Mao’s strategies of propaganda. Yu describes the way in which communist China was able to manipulate the mind’s of it’s people, he states “The Communists try to make the ideas of the Party sound as if they were ideas of the people”(Yu 15). Through strategic forms of manipulation, Mao was

During the Zhengfeng (1942-1944), the Chinese Communist Party strongly believed that artistic expressions lacked a unified cultural approach. As such, they used various methods to consolidate ideological unanimity among cadres around Maoism. In his “Talks at the Yan 'an Forum on Literature and Art,” Mao Zedong stresses the struggle on the cultural front as an indispensable

Art is a catalyst of change. It can confront both social and political issues as well as providing people with a creative outlet in which they can express their innermost thoughts and feelings - but what effect can art have on our society as a whole? Artists today have the unique ability to connect with people in a creative, innovative way that they can understand and interpret themselves. With this ability, artists are able to express their own views as well as influencing the views of others. Art is an immense part of our world – so much so that we barely even consider its impact upon us – but just how significant is the work of artists in our modern day society?

Knowledge lies at the foundation of everything in society. While it may not always be noticed, it is always present. This knowledge is used in an array of processes such as creativity, experimentation, analysis, and so much more. From process to process, or area of knowledge to area of knowledge, all knowledge incorporates the processes of both transformation and description in order to evolve as justifiable beliefs. Transformative knowledge includes the product of an individual’s implementation of their personal cognitive processes to challenge traditional perspectives, while descriptive knowledge results when individuals utilize the new perspectives, allowing fresh outlooks to be perceived. While all areas of knowledge incorporate the use of both processes, some may primarily use one or the other. This can be seen in the areas of art and natural sciences. Knowledge in arts seems to primarily describe the world, while knowledge in natural sciences seeks to transform it through innovation and much more.