Reading communist intentions: Based on these visual sources, how would you describe the kind of society that the Chinese Communist Party sought to create in China during Mao’s lifetime?
Distinguishing image and reality: Based on the narrative of this chapter and especially on what happened after Mao’s death, assess the realities that lay behind these visual sources. To what extent do the posters accurately represent the successes of Maoist communism? What insights do they shed on its failures?
Defining audience and appeal: To whom do you think these posters were directed? What appeal might they have for the intended audience?
Noticing change: How could you use these posters to define the dramatic changes that transformed China since 1949? How might a traditional Chinese official from the nineteenth century respond to them?
Assessing posters as evidence: What are the strengths and limitations of poster art for understanding Chinese communism under Mao?