1. Home

Was Mao Zedong a Hero or Villain?

This pros and cons essay examines the lifetime and actions of Mao Zedong to ask whether he should be considered a hero or villain in the historical narrative. Despite the impact of Mao's policies, the student finds inspiration in Mao's image as a determined leader.
PAGES
3
WORDS
840
  Cite
View Full Essay
About this essay
This essay received a B by one of Kibin's paper graders. Click here to see what was done well and what needs improvement.

More essays like this:

china, life and times
Not sure what I'd do without @Kibin
- Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University
Exactly what I needed.
- Jenna Kraig, student @ UCLA
Wow. Most helpful essay resource ever!
- Chris Stochs, student @ UC Berkeley
Generating Preview...
This essay received a B by one of Kibin's paper graders. Click here to see what was done well and what needs improvement.

More essays like this:

china, life and times
Not sure what I'd do without @Kibin
- Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University
Exactly what I needed.
- Jenna Kraig, student @ UCLA
Wow. Most helpful essay resource ever!
- Chris Stochs, student @ UC Berkeley

View other essays like this one:

Bridget's feedback:

"This is off to a good start, with an organization that facilitates readability and a good balance of detail and broader claims. I'd like to check in with you on the purpose of the paper, which seems to come only in the final line -- that is, an assessment of Mao's place in history as a hero or villain. Throughout the essay, you strike a balanced tone, but the relative dearth of "cons" in the discussion suggests a conclusion -- again, this may depend on your prompt, but incorporating counterarguments (and effectively responding to them) will more often than not enhance ethos by showing the reader your control of the conversation, the literature, and the subject. In this case, I don't feel the single paragraph on criticisms suffices -- rather, consider checking in as you move through the narrative.

I also recommend some proofreading to catch errors and/or awkward diction or phrasing. One word choice to reconsider is the opening use of "characters" -- this either suggests that Mao is a fiction, that you will be examining the figure of Mao in the historical imagination or his "brand", or that he was an amusing, eccentric guy ("he's such a character"). I list these to show how a single word choice, especially when presenting on a controversial topic, can really shift the reader's understanding of your thesis, position, and/or bias -- so, keep an eye out for clarity and precision of language to ensure your discussion maintains the balance implied by your current final sentence."

Learn more about this feedback