When most people hear the name Joseph Stalin, they usually associate the name with a man who was part of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and was responsible for the deaths of millions of people. He was willing to do anything to improve the economic and military power of the Soviet Union, even if it meant executing tens of millions of innocent people (Frankforter, A. Daniel. and W. M. Spellman 655). In chapter three of Sheila Fitzpatrick's book, Everyday Stalinism, she argues that because citizens believed in the propaganda of “a bright future” (67), they could be manipulated by the Party into transforming the Soviet Union. This allowed the Soviet government to expand its power, which ultimately proved very disastrous for the people. Soviet citizens of the 1930s, especially the younger ones, believed “that they were participants in a process of transforming history, their enthusiasm for what was called “the construction of socialism” (68). The Soviets built hotels, palaces, and had projects displayed everywhere “that were supposed to establish a model for urban planning throughout the country and provide a model of socialist capital for foreigners” (69). To further transform the Soviet Union, state officials encouraged citizens to help improve literacy rates and recognize the many heroes of the socialist state. These heroes, including Joseph Stalin, "received enormous amounts of fan mail and were celebrated in their appearances across the country" (72). They also encouraged the remaking of individuals, particularly through work. Before the transformation, many did not like to work, but “under socialism it was what filled life with meaning” (75). Numerous interviews one author had with “transformed” criminals demonstrated that even criminals can be transformed into good citizens through work (76). However, Sheila Fitzpatrick claims that these interviews were “clearly a propaganda project.” The transformation of individuals also included the desire of citizens to become more cultured. Many Soviet citizens characterized the peasants, those who were not yet part of the transformation, as “economically and culturally backward” (70); therefore, people wanted to be more cultured to distinguish themselves from the lower class. Things like brushing their teeth, table manners, and public behavior allowed them to be distinguished (80). Fitzpatrick says on page 80: “Newspapers and magazines carried regular reports of success in mastering the first level of culture, […] these should not always be taken literally.” Fitzpatrick once again points out that much of the reporting from this period was propaganda.