Lu Xun's Turmoil and Roar

Author: Chen Jing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The greatest quality of Lu Xun is a "sympathy for their misfortune and anger at their lack of struggle." Seeing endless suffering, he felt "sympathy"; seeing suffering without progress, he felt "anger." In an era dominated by "individualism," such a mindset was criticized. Others' "misfortune" was none of your concern; you didn't have to "sympathize." Others' "lack of struggle" was none of your concern; you didn't have to "anger." Lu Xun's entire life was lived in a complex "complex" of alternating "sympathy" and "anger," sometimes bowing his head, sometimes frowning, sometimes, sometimes. He seemed to be the most criticized person, with at least 100 people named and criticized by him, and about 20-30 key figures who engaged in "combat" with him. He criticized Zhang Shizhao's thoughts and personality, Hu Shi's certain statements and actions, Chen Yuan (Xiliang) for serving warlords, Xu Zhimo's poetry, Yang Yinyu's "Normal School Windstorm," and Liang Shiqiu's lack of "class consciousness"—he could criticize whoever he wanted, and the more he criticized, the greater he became. He was regarded as the "founder of new literature," the "pioneer of ideological revolution," the "authority in thought," the "people's literary giant," the "national soul," the "pioneer and model of modern Chinese fiction," the "long-lasting evergreen tree in the literary world that withstood wind, thunder, and axe," the "great litterateur, great thinker, and great revolutionary," and the "unprecedentedly correct, brave, determined, loyal, and enthusiastic national hero." He seemed to be criticized the most as well, from being called "not a revolutionary" to "Lu Xun visiting brothels," with various forms of criticism. His "revolutionary" identity was questioned, believed to have "done little in revolution," "never truly engaged in underground activities," and not qualified as a "revolutionary." His "thinker" identity was questioned, seen as "lacking profound philosophical thinking," "having no distant questions," and only "scattered without a systematic structure." His private life was questioned, seen as an "enjoyer of a pornographic environment," "unconventional in lifestyle," and " outwardly resembling Confucius, yet also engaging in visiting brothels." He was regarded as a "spreader of rumors" and "a person who throws cold arrows," seen as someone who "immediately constructs someone's crimes" upon writing, "not cutting and pasting out of context, but fabricating facts," someone who "wears a paper-maché authority's false crown into a state of physical and mental illness," someone who "wavers between art and fame in the light and darkness," someone who is "mentally," "personally base," "a petty person," "a remnant of feudalism," "a fascist in white gloves," "a dualistic counter-revolutionary figure," and "lacking large-scale literary efforts." This book consists of 16 chapters, including: "Morning Glories Plucked at Dusk," "From the Vegetable Garden to the Three Flavor Study," "Unexpected Storms," "Seeking a Different Life," "Study in Japan," "Loveless Marriage," etc.