Roar (Compulsory Reading for the New Curriculum of Chinese Language)

Author: Lu Xun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Najiao () is a collection of short stories written by Lu Xun from 1918 to 1922, comprising 15 stories. Among them, works such as The Diary of a Madman, Qigongji (), and The True Story of Ah Q are considered Lu Xun's masterpieces. The stories are imbued with a strong anti-feudal passion, "comforting the fierce warriors who run in solitude, encouraging them to press forward without hesitation." With exceptional artistic language, rigorous realist techniques, lifelike artistic portrayals, and ingenious artistic composition, they reveal profound social issues and depict an entire era. Najiao was written during the transitional period between China's old and new literatures. These works combine profound historical content with outstanding literary techniques, reaching the peak of modern Chinese literature. Lu Xun once said that the emergence of these works "demonstrated the achievements of the 'Literary Revolution'," and they "stirred the hearts of young readers" due to their "deep expression and unique format." The works reveal the essential meaning of life, with flexible sources and diverse forms of expression. The artistic characteristics of Lu Xun's novels first lie in their realism. Lu Xun advocated the use of "white portrayal" in literary creation—"describing things as they are," "sincerity without decoration, less pretense, no showboating." The scenes of life, water towns, folk customs, urban landscapes, and the words and actions of characters in his works are as real and natural as life itself, as if the reader is present.