also reached audiences from different social strata. The propagated message could arrive at the door of intellectuals who read the literary magazine People’s Literature, children who enjoy illustrations, and those who have a taste in the new media of film. Content Through portraying Li Shuangshuang as "a creative, energetic woman who embodied the ideals of a new peasant", the film acts as the state's guidelines for women to strive for "equality and the achievement of socialist ideals". Women as Symbol - Models In the 1950s, exceptional women of the rural areas would be identified as labor models: “skilled farmers, dedicated midwives, astute livestock handlers, and tenacious cotton-growing heroines”. The purpose of establishing women labor models was, of course, to mobilize women to participate in the labor force by creating images of strong and fearless women. In the film, although not explicitly described, Li Shuangshuang embodied the qualities of a “new peasant” that was desired by the Party. Shuangshuang was strong and skilled at farming, and she was fair at managing production affairs in the commune. Due to her leadership, she was more important than some of the men in the commune. The portrayal of Li Shuangshuang as a labor model also had political significance. For one, female labor models were the only “sources of social capital” for the communes to mobilize labor force. The major difference between Li Shuangshaung and traditional labor models in the Maoist era, however, was that Shuangshuang did not need to be “trained and discovered”. Shuangshuang was rather “constructed as naturally connected to the land and her fellow villagers, and without need for a transformation”. This further promoted the image of a rural woman who naturally felt obligated to devote herself to the socialist construction. Family and Domestic Affairs The film depicted two distinct viewpoints on women’s role in the domestic sphere. Sun Xiwang was somewhat backward and believed that household chores were a part of women’s responsibilities, Li Shuangshuang thought whoever was available should do the chores. It was not until the commune cadre convinced Xiwang that Shuangshuang should be praised for her contribution that Xiwang changed his attitude towards the necessity of women’s labor in all domestic chores. Xiwang even made a meal when Shuangshuang returned home late. This change of attitude also hinted at the power of state intervention in household gender relations. Women as Independent Individuals At the beginning of the film,