In this blog post, we will examine the anguish of intellectuals and the reality of the common people living through turbulent times through the lens of Lu Xun, a master of modern Chinese literature, and his short story collection ‘Wandering’. We will also reflect on the significance for us today of Lu Xun’s critical perspective—as someone who abandoned medicine to pursue...
Why Do the Chinese Still Refer to Lu Xun as the “Soul of the Nation”?
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...
What message did Lu Xun convey through ‘The True Story of Ah Q’?
In this blog post, we will examine the servile mentality of the common people, social contradictions, and the limitations of revolution through the lens of Lu Xun, a master of modern Chinese literature, and his masterpiece ‘The True Story of Ah Q’, and explore the sharp message he conveyed about his era through his work. Lu Xun (魯迅) was born on September 25, 1881, in Shaoxing...
What is Lu Xun’s identity, and how does ‘The True Story of Ah Q’ reflect the reform of the national character?
In this blog post, we will analyze Lu Xun’s complex identity and the issue of national character reform as depicted in ‘The True Story of Ah Q’, while examining the core questions raised by his literature. Introduction Research on Lu Xun (魯迅) and his literature has been consistently conducted by numerous scholars from various perspectives. In particular, efforts to define his...
Was Lu Xun a revolutionary, or a writer who loved humanity?
In this blog post, we’ll explore the life and literary world of Lu Xun, a master of modern Chinese literature, and reflect on why he is remembered as a revolutionary while also being a writer who harbored deep compassion for humanity. If Hu Shi (胡適) is compared to Korea’s Choi Nam-seon in the history of modern Chinese literature, Lu Xun (魯迅) played a pioneering role in modern poetry and...
How Did Lu Xun Seek to Awaken the Chinese People?
In this blog post, we will examine Lu Xun’s literary transformation—through which he sought to awaken the ailing spirit of the Chinese people—and the satire found in his masterpiece, ‘The True Story of Ah Q’. Lu Xun’s Transformation and the Birth of ‘A Cry’ Lu Xun (1881–1936) grew up in affluence as a child in a family of minor landowners belonging to the literati...
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...