In this blog post, we’ll explore why Lu Xun, a master of modern Chinese literature, is still referred to as the “Soul of the Nation” today. Focusing on ‘The Diary of a Madman’ and ‘The True Story of Ah Q’, we’ll examine his literary world, his critique of the nation, and his timeless influence.
In the history of modern Chinese literature, just as Hu Shi is regarded as the pioneer of modern poetry and is often compared to Korea’s Choi Nam-seon, Lu Xun is a figure comparable to Lee Kwang-su as the pioneer of the modern novel. Both were representative literary figures who ushered in a new era of modern Chinese literature.
However, evaluations of Lu Xun have long been overshadowed by political interpretations. In his later years, he joined the Chinese Left-Wing Writers’ League, and his later works also exhibited socialist tendencies. Furthermore, after his death, he was praised by Mao Zedong as the greatest writer in modern Chinese literature. Paradoxically, this political aura has sometimes served as an obstacle to viewing Lu Xun’s literature objectively.
In fact, the starting point of his literary career lay far deeper than political ideology. In the preface to his first collection of short stories, ‘Cries’ (‘吶喊’), Lu Xun attributed his creative motivation to his love for his nation and his yearning for the spiritual awakening of the people. His literature did not stem from the propaganda of a specific ideology, but rather from a desperate concern for a sick society and suffering humanity.
From childhood, Lu Xun experienced poverty and illness firsthand. Born into a family that had fallen on hard times, he grew up frequenting pawnshops and pharmacies. These experiences laid the groundwork for his later deep interest in the lives of those at the bottom of society—farmers and the underprivileged.
At the age of eighteen, he enrolled at the Jiangnan Water Conservancy School in Nanjing and later graduated from the Mining Department of the Railway and Mining School. In 1902, at the age of twenty-two, he left for Japan to study abroad. Believing that medical and scientific education was one of the driving forces behind Japan’s modernization, he enrolled in the Sendai Medical School in 1904.
It was during this period that an event occurred that changed the course of his life. One day, while the Russo-Japanese War was in full swing, he witnessed a public execution of a Chinese man accused of being a Russian spy through a current affairs slide show. What was even more shocking than the execution itself was the sight of Chinese people watching it indifferently.
At that moment, Lu Xun realized that no matter how physically healthy a nation’s people might be, the country could never become strong if the spirit of its people was numb. He came to believe that the path to saving China lay not in medicine or science and technology alone, but in the reformation of the people’s spirit, and he chose literature as the means to achieve this.
The work born out of this sense of urgency was ‘The Diary of a Madman’. For Lu Xun, literature was both a release from personal anguish and a form of self-criticism directed at the entire nation. His creative work was a practical endeavor that combined love for his people, anger toward them, and a call for their awakening.
Lu Xun’s life and literary career are clearly divided by the year 1927. After moving to Shanghai that year, he actively participated in revolutionary movements and social criticism until his death. Therefore, his career is generally divided into an early period (before 1927) and a late period (after 1927).
While the early Lu Xun focused on national enlightenment and the reform of the national character, the later Lu Xun became more deeply involved in social revolution and political criticism. Whereas his early works concentrated on realistic depictions of people and society, his later works took on a more combative and polemical character.
His literary form also changed. While his early period centered on novels, his later period focused on essays and criticism. His early works are imbued with compassion and melancholy toward humanity, whereas his later works strongly feature sharp satire and paradox directed at society.
Nevertheless, the core of Lu Xun’s literature remained consistent. He always confronted the ills of Chinese society head-on and sought to awaken the national spirit. His revolutionary tendencies in his later period were also, ultimately, an extension of his desire to transform Chinese society.
The works included in this book—“The True Story of Ah Q,” “The Diary of a Madman,” “The Storm,” “Hometown,” and “The Lonely One”—are all representative works of his early literary period. In particular, “The True Story of Ah Q” is regarded as a work that epitomizes the essence of Lu Xun’s literature.
First published in 1921, “The True Story of Ah Q” is Lu Xun’s only novella. This work is of immense significance not only in the history of Chinese literature but also in the history of world literature.
The protagonist, Ah Q, is a poor day laborer and a drifter. Although he lives during the era of revolution, he fails to understand its meaning. Caught up in the changes of society, he is unable to carve out his own destiny and ultimately meets a tragic end.
Through A-Q, Lu Xun laid bare the ills of Chinese society at the time. He condensed into a single character the image of a person conditioned by feudal customs, an intellectual unable to face reality, and a crowd that shirks responsibility.
The core concept of this work is the so-called “method of spiritual victory.” Although A Q is always defeated in reality, he believes in his heart that he has triumphed. Even when beaten, he thinks he has won; even when humiliated, he consoles himself.
Lu Xun viewed this “spiritual victory method” not as an individual flaw but as a collective pathology widespread throughout Chinese society at the time. The attitude of succumbing to self-deception rather than attempting to change reality, and relying on a delusional sense of pride rather than acknowledging failure—this was precisely “A-Qism.”
Therefore, ‘The True Story of A-Q’ is not merely the story of a single character but a massive act of self-criticism directed at Chinese society as a whole. While Lu Xun mocks Ah Q, he also feels compassion for him. This is because Ah Q is not merely an individual problem but a victim created by the times.
Ultimately, in the scene where Ah Q is executed, the reader witnesses not merely the tragedy of a single individual but the tragedy of an entire society. And through the sight of the crowd consuming this spectacle as a form of entertainment, Lu Xun once again denounces the sick reality of Chinese society.
Lu Xun’s debut work, ‘The Diary of a Madman’, is regarded as the starting point of modern Chinese literature. Published in 1918 in ‘New Youth’, this work is known as China’s first full-fledged vernacular novel and is a landmark work that determined the direction of modern Chinese literature.
The work takes the form of a diary written by a madman consumed by delusions of persecution. However, what Lu Xun sought to portray was not merely the inner world of a mentally ill person. Through the madman’s eyes, he aimed to expose how the feudal order and Confucian rituals, which had persisted for thousands of years, had oppressed humanity.
While reading a history book, the madman discovers the meaning “eats people” hidden between every character. This does not refer to actual cannibalism but symbolizes the structural violence through which feudal society has destroyed humanity and suppressed individuality. By expressing this through the shocking metaphor of “cannibalism,” Lu Xun delivered a scathing critique of the essence of traditional Chinese society.
In particular, the cry “Save the children!” that appears at the end of the work is not merely a desperate cry. It was Lu Xun’s earnest hope to liberate the next generation from the old order and give birth to a new kind of human being. ‘The Diary of a Madman’ was both an indictment of feudal values and a manifesto for human liberation.
‘The Storm’ is set against the backdrop of Chinese society following the Xinhai Revolution. Although the revolution had taken place, the lives of the common people had not changed significantly, and society was still dominated by ignorance and tradition.
The protagonist, Qijun, is a farmer who has spent his entire life toiling. Despite suffering from poverty, he cannot bring himself to give up the vague hope that he might one day rise to a position of power. Through this character, Lu Xun demonstrates that the revolution had merely changed the political system but failed to transform people’s consciousness.
“Storms” does not rely on a grand historical narrative but rather illuminates the reality of Chinese society through the daily lives of ordinary farmers. It is precisely in this aspect that the spirit of realism unique to Lu Xun’s literature is revealed.
Published in 1921, “Hometown” is considered one of the most lyrical works in Lu Xun’s literary canon. The story unfolds as the narrator, returning to his hometown after many years, reunites with his childhood friend, Yun Tu.
As a child, Yun Tu was a lively and innocent boy. However, as an adult, he has been crushed by poverty and the burdens of life, transforming into a listless peasant. A social and economic barrier now stands between the two men—one that can no longer be easily crossed.
Through Yun Tu’s transformation, Lu Xun reveals the bleak reality of rural China. At the same time, he exposes the walls of status and class that stand between people. However, the work does not speak only of despair.
At the end of the novel, Lu Xun likens hope to a path. He suggests that while a path did not originally exist, it is created when many people walk upon it. This is a famous passage that illustrates his belief that the future can be shaped through human effort and action.
“The Lonely One” is one of the works that most deeply reflects Lu Xun’s own inner world. The conflict between ideals and reality experienced by Chinese intellectuals after the May Fourth Movement, as well as the anguish between revolution and the individual, permeates the entire work.
The protagonist, Wei Lianshu, pursues ideals but is repeatedly frustrated by reality. He wants to change society but is not understood by others, and ultimately sinks into deep loneliness.
Rather than focusing on social criticism as in his earlier novels, this work delicately portrays the spiritual wanderings and suffering of an intellectual. Here, Lu Xun focuses on the fundamental loneliness of human existence rather than on revolution.
In fact, works such as “The Lonely One,” “In a Tavern,” “Autumn Night,” and “Letter to a Friend” all strongly convey sentiments of nihilism, skepticism, and loneliness. Traces of Nietzsche’s influence can also be glimpsed, demonstrating that Lu Xun’s literature did not remain merely enlightenment literature.
From 1918 to 1927—a span of about ten years—Lu Xun published numerous novels, essays, and critiques, including ‘The Cry’ and ‘Wandering’. He also left outstanding achievements in various fields, such as ‘Wild Grass’, ‘Picking Morning Flowers in the Evening’, and ‘A Brief History of Chinese Fiction’.
Even after 1928, he wrote a vast amount of miscellaneous essays and critiques, offering critical reflections on Chinese society and culture as a whole. His writings extended beyond literature to encompass various fields, including history, philosophy, art, and politics.
Throughout his life, Lu Xun confronted the ills of Chinese society head-on. He relentlessly criticized feudal traditions, authoritarianism, blind customs, and hypocrisy. However, such criticism was never rooted in hatred for his people.
Rather, his scathing remarks stemmed from a deep love for Chinese society. He did not turn a blind eye to a sick society; he believed that healing was only possible by exposing the affected areas.
In fact, Lu Xun once said, “When a beauty has a boil on her face, hiding it and merely praising her beauty is not true love.” Pointing out the illness and demanding treatment is, in his view, the very essence of true affection.
This attitude permeates his entire body of work. While he criticized ignorant peasants and apathetic intellectuals, he also felt compassion for them. He rebuked Chinese society, but ultimately sought to save it.
The most distinctive feature of Lu Xun’s literature is its realism. His works directly addressed the specific problems of contemporary Chinese society. Furthermore, his characters were portrayed as archetypes representing specific social classes and historical periods.
Formally, while inheriting the tradition of classical Chinese fiction, he introduced modern narrative techniques. In terms of language, he actively used vernacular Chinese instead of classical literary Chinese, opening up new possibilities for literature.
He was also significantly influenced by Russian literature. He read Gogol, Chekhov, and Pushkin extensively and particularly valued the spirit of realism that critically examined social reality. However, his literature was, above all, rooted in Chinese reality and Chinese sensibilities.
Lu Xun is one of the founders of modern Chinese literature. However, viewing him merely as a standard-bearer of revolutionary literature would be to unduly narrow his literary world.
His works are not propaganda for a specific ideology but contain profound reflections on the suffering and contradictions of an era, as well as on the human condition. Above all, it was precisely because he loved his people more than anyone else that he was able to criticize them more harshly than anyone else.
When Lu Xun passed away on October 19, 1936, the three characters “National Spirit” (民族魂) were placed on his coffin. Opinions may vary as to whether this expression is truly appropriate. However, at least one thing is clear.
Lu Xun was a writer who compelled the Chinese people to reflect on themselves, and he was one of the literary figures who had the greatest influence on the formation of the modern Chinese spirit.
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