Manga: Men, Women, Love, and Sex in Lu Xun's Works

Author: Yang Zhenwei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: Platonic love theory, I can see and speak, but cannot act. Monks have no wives, where do little Bodhisattvas come from? Food and drink are not sins, nor are they impure; sexual intercourse is not a sin, nor is it impure. Ten years of hardship together, sharing hardship with tears can also be sorrowful; I borrow paintings to soothe weary eyes, the sweetness and bitterness are known only to the two hearts. The topics of men, women, love, and sex are of concern to almost everyone. The main reason I chose this topic is that I wanted to know what others and the great ones had to say about men and women, sex and love. Mr. Lu Xun's perspective once gave me great inspiration. So, I reread Mr. Lu Xun's complete works again. The essay in volume of the complete works is "My View on Chastity," followed by "How We Should Marry Now." Regarding women, Mr. Lu Xun did not sympathize with them but rather protected, encouraged, and spoke out for their interests. As for "love" and "sex," Mr. Lu Xun was even more blunt. He said, "Platonic love theory, I can see and speak, but cannot act." In a word, that is clear enough. I read Lu Xun to understand the perspectives on the issues, and I draw Lu Xun because I like it. After reading his articles, I feel that Lu Xun's very existence is a form of beauty, a form of art. I know my paintings cannot fully portray a complete Lu Xun, and I don’t want to do that either. I only use these cartoons to express my understanding and admiration for Lu Xun, even if this understanding is superficial. Lu Xun’s depth and my superficiality are combined in this collection in this way. Whether it is an insult to Lu Xun, I don’t know, but for me, it might be a blessing. To put it bluntly, I want to borrow Lu Xun’s fame. If Lu Xun were to know about this from the afterlife, as long as he didn’t curse me, I would be satisfied.