My propaganda poster supports the stance of the Machine, from The Machine Stops, By E.M. Forster and I used Canva to create it

 

Conformity over individuality

Propaganda has the power to shape minds and control societies, making it a compelling tool to explore the themes of conformity and control in The Machine Stops. For my propaganda poster, I used various propaganda techniques to persuade my audience including, fear, bandwagon and virtue by association. I also used pathos to manipulate the emotions of the audience. The slogan “Beware First Hand Ideas”, evokes the fear of stepping out of the society’s norm. It suggests that independent thought could lead to danger hence the word “Beware”. This slogan provokes a subconscious desire to stay within the safe majority with a sense of anxiety or fear. I also use the technique bandwagon with all the hands at the bottom of the screen. These hands symbolize a collective group which suggests that everyone is together on this idea and the viewer should not feel left out and the should join in. The slogan at the bottom “you do not have the time” is the technique bad logic because it assumes that the lack of time is universal and independent thinking is unachievable due to time constrains. This design draws from key moments in the story, for example, “beware first hand ideas” is directly inspired by Vashti on page 21. The lightbulb was inspired by Kuno’s idea that the machine stops. I put it on the poster because it is a first-hand idea that the poster is warning against. The gears represent the machine and the other slogan ” you do not have the time ” is also inspired by Vashti on page 23. I made these choices because my poster takes a stance against Kuno, creativity and individuality. I used the core competencies, creative and critical thinking to build my propaganda poster. I used critical thinking to implement aspects of the book into my poster and I used creative thinking to make the poster look traditional while also adding the dystopian effect. I had to critically think about the techniques I used but I used imagination and creativity to bring it all together. I made this poster to warn people against individuality.

 

Podcast with Katherine:

Parallel Paths with Annie and Kathy

Episode 1:  Screens and Silence