In this blog post, we will analyze Kong Shangren’s life and literary world, focusing specifically on how ‘The Peach Blossom Thread’ uses historical facts and dramatic devices to prompt reflection on the rise and fall of an era. Kong Shangren’s Life and Literary World Kong Shangren (孔尙任, 1648–1718) was born in Qufu, Shandong Province; his identity and the sentiments flowing...
Lu Xun’s Melancholy and Enlightenment as Seen Through ‘A Madman’s Diary’
This blog post examines Lu Xun’s melancholy and enlightenment consciousness revealed through ‘A Madman’s Diary’, revisiting its meaning from today’s perspective. Melancholy is the product of knowledge. The more we know, the more we suffer. For we come to know the good, the bad, and even the wrong. For those who seek to change what they know for the better, that suffering...