Date of Award
12-2009
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Degree Program
History
Department
History
Major Professor
Powers, Madelon
Second Advisor
Candy, Catherine
Third Advisor
Goss, Andrew
Abstract
In 1962, very few people within the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) had ever heard of Lei Feng, a young soldier who died in a tragic accident while driving a truck for the People's Liberation Army. The following year, his name was known throughout China as one of the finest young soldiers that the country had ever produced. In years to come, his diary was put in the hands of everyone from school children to soldiers to serve as a model for the ideal Chinese citizen. Furthermore, as Chinese culture evolved, so did the Lei Feng image, changing from citizen-soldier in 1963 to socialist entrepreneur after 1978. This study's focus is how Lei Feng has become not only a model Chinese citizen-soldier and entrepreneur, but a successful example to fellow nations of how they, too, could mold the ideals of their citizens for generations to come.
Recommended Citation
Dugue, Clement A. III, "Lei Feng: China's Evolving Cultural Icon, 1960s to the Present" (2009). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 996.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/996
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.