Final answer:
The word villain did indeed originate as a term for a farm laborer, and sharecroppers were tenant farmers who paid their rent with shares of their crops, both statements are true. Additionally, perceptions of a leader like Stalin could vary among workers, as some might see him as a villain and others as a savior depending on their personal experiences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the word villain originally signified a farm laborer is true. Over time the meaning of the word has evolved from a neutral term referring to a farm worker or someone bound to the soil, to its current connotation of someone who is morally corrupt or wicked. This semantic shift reflects the broader socio-economic changes that saw the vilification of the lower classes in the feudal system.
As for sharecroppers, the statement is also true. Sharecropping is a system where tenant farmers would pay rent to a landowner by providing a share of the crops grown on their allotted piece of land. This form of tenant farming was especially prevalent in the post-Civil War American South among former slaves and poor white farmers.
It is interesting how perceptions can change as evidenced by different workers' views of figures in power. Under Stalin's regime, the Russian worker might either view him as a villain or a savior, depending on whether they benefited from industrial progress and job security or suffered under oppressive conditions and scarcity.