Author: Li Ou-fan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-05-01
Features: This is one of the series "Looking Back at Lu Xun." The series collects the essence of Lu Xun studies from different stages of the 20th century, both in China and abroad, compiling memoirs and research writings about Lu Xun. It is so far the most comprehensive and large-scale document collection on Lu Xun studies. Among them, Li Ou-fan's Roaring in the Iron House is a classic work that has had a broad impact in Lu Xun studies both at home and abroad. The organization of this book is divided into three parts, roughly chronological. This book focuses on Lu Xun's art, placing psychological issues only in the chapter discussing his life from childhood to the beginning of his career as a writer. Chapter 2 explains his understanding of the Chinese literary tradition and his academic research (though the chronological order is slightly reversed). These two chapters together form Part I, serving as background material for the later study of his literary works. The central part of the book is Part II, which interprets the three major literary genres in Lu Xun's works: short stories, prose poems, and essays. My mentor, Professor C. T. Hsia, once analyzed the "dark side" of Lu Xun's works, believing its core lies in his prose poem collection Wild Grass, though it is also evident in many of his novels and early essays. This insight was pioneering. However, this book focuses more on Lu Xun's short stories, as they are not only great works of art but also more familiar to Western readers. Part III discusses the last decade of Lu Xun's life, concentrating on his views on the relationship between literature and politics. This is also a central issue in his political consciousness. The analysis in this part of the book may be the most controversial. Additionally, this part explores the issue of Lu Xun's borrowing from Soviet literature and its theories, which has not yet received sufficient attention from scholars.