The Talks at the Yenan Forum on Literature and Art saw Mao give speeches dealing with the role of literature and art within China. These speeches outlined party thought on mass culture and revolutionary culture, calling on artists to reach peasants, workers, the army, and to reject forms of art that were not directed towards the masses. The following site provides an overview of the Yenan Forum. You may skim until you see the line "The Talks is in two parts, the "Introduction" and the "Conclusion."

How does Mao view the role of art and literature?

Summarize the four problems of attitude, audience, work, and study.

Provide an overview of each of the five sections of the conclusion.

About the Yenan Forum

The May 16 Notification was released as an indictment of anti-Communist forces within the politburo and a beginning point for the Cultural Revolution's focus on the elimination of class enemies in China and the party itself. Read the May 16 Notification and answer the following question:

What are the literary techniques employed by the piece? What are the consistent themes, imagery, phrases, analogies, metaphors, etc.?

May 16 Notification

Ask Chairman Mao for the Answers

(This link works best in Internet Explorer or Edge, as flash player is not installed on school laptops in the Chrome browser.)

This link will open a separate page that will give you access to a series of question and answer based guidance for living according to Mao Zedong Thought. This pamphlet was produced by the PLA to interpret and apply Mao Zedong Thought to your everyday life.

What are the four ways one should engage with the highest directives?

What are the recurrent themes within the Ask Chairman Mao for the Answers pamphlet?

How does this text help in the building of the cult of personality (charismatic leadership)?

Foreword by Lin Biao

This link will open a separate page and contains the foreword to the Little Red Book.

In what ways was the Quotations from Chairman Mao an integral piece of propaganda and thought reform?

The Little Red Book

Do not get lost exploring in here. This link gives you access to the entire English translation to the Little Red Book. Open section 25 on Unity.

How does Mao view unity and merge the ideas of unity and democracy?

In what ways does the Little Red Book contribute to the building of a cult of personality (charismatic leadership)?

Read this article on Children's Literature in Maoist China.

What themes run throughout children's literature during the Cultural Revolution?

In what ways did children's literature reflect social movements, particularly the role of children as heirs to the socialist revolution?