Keywords

Propaganda, China, Cultural Revolution, Yangbanxi, Mao Zedong, Posters, communist

Abstract

This thesis analyzes male characters from Maoist era movies, novels, and posters to argue that the Importance of Wen masculinity, a man’s intellectual and artistic talents, was downplayed, and even feminized while the importance of Wu masculinity, a man’s martial and athletic talents, was increased and encouraged as these forms of media came under increasingly stringent regulation from the Chinese Communist Party. This thesis examines sources from 1949-1976 dividing them into three periods: the Early People’s Republic (1949-1965), the Early Cultural Revolution (1966-1969), and the Late Cultural Revolution (1970-1976). Each chapter studies revolutionary protagonists and counterrevolutionary antagonists and explores how their characterization and presentation changed over time. The thesis demonstrates that Maoist era masculinities were much more nuanced and complicated than previously claimed.

Completion Date

2024

Semester

Fall

Committee Chair

Hong Zhang

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Arts and Humanities

Department

History

Degree Program

History M.A.

Format

PDF

Identifier

DP0028996

Language

English

Release Date

12-15-2024

Access Status

Thesis

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Accessibility Status

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