The True Story of Ah Q (chinese)

Lu Xun's short stories are brought together in two collections – Call to Arms and Wandering.

Call to Arms includes 14 works written between 1918 and 1922. Works in this collection were marked by the strong patriotic and revolutionary passion that prevailed in China during the May 4th Movement (1919). Wandering is made up of 11 stories including "The New Year Sacrifice," "In the Wine Shop," and "Soap" written in 1924, and "The Misanthrope," "Regret for the Past," and "Divorce" written in 1925.

Wandering reflects Lu Xun's spiritual depression in the mid-1920s and his unending search for the truth. "Kong Yiji" describes an intellect inflicted by the Imperial examination system. The story is written with a laconic and simple structure and in concise language. It castigates the evil of the examination system in trampling and destroying people's lives. "Medicine" is another famous short story exposing the life- destroying feudal system. It depicts not only the uneducated common people who are devoured by feudal superstition, but also a young revolutionary who is killed by the sword of feudal autocracy. One incident in the story, where Hua Laoshuan buys a bun soaked in martyr's blood in hope of curing his son's disease, has become a well-known literary quotation referring to the need for enlightenment.

Lu Xun cared about peasants' lives very much. Many stories in Call to Arms and Wandering truthfully depict peasants' tragic lives after the 1911 Revolution. "Storm" reflects the never-changing rural life after Zhang Xun's restoration by describing a small disturbance in the boatman Qijin's family in Luxian County.

"Hometown" is a short story known to every household in China. Through the author's first-person witnessing, of especially boyhood friend Runtu's experience, the story opens up, before reader's eyes, a fig of the tragic lives led by Chinese peasants in the 1920s. The story points to the countless tragedies peasants were forced to endure due to hunger, too many children, heavy taxes, wars, bandits, corrupt officials, and cruel landlords. The author's sympathy for and concern about the benumbed peasants and their sufferings has stirred generation after generation of readers' hearts.

The "True Story of Ah Q," which is included in Call to Arms, is Lu Xun's most representative work. The story is set in Chinese society around the 1911 Revolution. The novel, through describing Ah Q's tragic story of oppression, trying to resist oppression, and being killed by the reactionary forces, reveals the class confrontations in the rural areas at that time and criticizes the bourgeoisie's unthoroughness to and alienation from the masses in leading the 1911 Revolution. The author, on one hand, showed great sympathy for Ah Q's unfortunate experiences, while on the other hand, expressed anger at his being so easily discouraged. Through criticizing Ah Q's self-deception, Lu Xun hoped to waken Chinese peasants' awareness and desire for revolution. The "True Story of Ah Q" has gained worldwide fame and is one of the greatest works in the history of Chinese literature.

Among Lu Xun's native fiction," Village Opera"is the most exemplary, in its skillful description and praise of the virtues of peasants.

Some works in Wandering deals with peasant women's fate. The portrait of Mrs. Xianglin in "The New Year Sacrifice" is again a forceful indictment of the life-destroying feudal code of ethics. "Divorce" is the last of Lu Xun's stories that deal with social realities. It reveals, very profoundly, the situation in rural areas after the 1911 Revolution and points out that the fate of peasant women had still not at all changed.

"In the Wine Shop," "Soap," and "The Misanthrope," in Wandering, reflects intellectuals' life.

"Old Tales Retold" draws materials from ancient myths and historic stories, greatly broadening the subject matter of Lu Xun's fiction, and is cherished by many scholars and folklorists.

Lu Xun's fiction embodies a spirit of sober realism.

By learning from the concise, flexible, and varied structure of foreign fiction, Lu Xun broke away from the exclusive form of traditional Chinese fiction, which had been written only in chapters, to create a new form for modern Chinese fiction. Therefore, Lu Xun is looked upon as the father of the modem Chinese fiction.

The essay was the form used most frequently by Lu Xun (1881-1936) in his literary creation. His essays reflect his image as a committed revolutionary. Most of his essays are collected in Three Leisures, Two Hearts, Demi-Concession Studio Essays, The Second Demi-Studio Essays, and The Last Demi-Concession Studio Essays.

Lu Xun's essays cover a wide range of topics, with two major points of focus. First, they reflect Chinese society with considerable depth and breadth. From his essays people can grasp a general idea of China 's modern and contemporary history. Each of the essays seems to concern only small and even trivial matters, but they come together to form an integral social outlook. Secondly, his essays look hard at the question of reforming the weaknesses in the Chinese character.

Lu Xun's essays are intensely figurative. The logic in his articles, including reasoning, argument, criticism, and refutation, is embodied through distinctive images. Therefore his essays are of strong artistic appeal. The style of the essays is free and diverse, and short commentary is the most frequently used form. The tone of the essays is solemn and awe-inspiring, fresh and meaningful, unrestrained and militant, or biting and convincing. Lu Xun's essays hold a significant position in modern Chinese literature.

Lu Xun is also the important founder of the modern prose poem. Works belonging to this category are collected in Wild Grass, and fall into two categories: (1) satire of everyday life and attack on corrupt politics, as represented by "Dog's Refutation," "Revenge," and "In Faint Blood"; and (2) his own depression and struggles to find a way out, as represented by "Autumn Night," "Passerby, " and "Farewell to Shadow."

Wild Grass is a fine work of symbolism. The various images created by way of symbolic metaphors have great artistic appeal.

Lu Xun's reminiscent prose was compiled in Dawn Blossoms Collected at Dusk. Some works in this collection follow the traditions of classical prose – simple narration imbued with profound thought -, while retrospection on past days is accompanied by criticism of social reality.