Xun lu or hsun lu wadegiles, was the pen name of zhou shuren september 25, 1881 october 19, 1936, a leading figure of modern chinese literature. Considered by many to be the founder of modern chinese literature, he wrote in baihua the vernacular as well as classical chinese. He started his career as an official under the warlord sun quan in the 200s during the late eastern han dynasty and steadily rising through the ranks. He first used the pen name lu xun for the story kuangren riji translated as diary of a madman, 1981 in the may 1918 issue of xin gingnian. Lu hsun was the pen name of zhou shuren, who is one of the major chinese writers of the 20th century. Beyond the iron house is a critical study of a crucial period of life and work of the modern chinese writer lu xun. He experienced firsthand the end of the imperial examination system and the fall of the qing, the growing interest in democracy and science as epitomized by the may 4th genera. A hundred years ago, lu xun published a short story that would forever leave its mark on both chinese fiction and chinese history. Born to a family that was traditional, wealthy, and esteemed his. Lu hsun, 18811936 oli yksi kiinan merkittavimmista 1900luvun kirjailijoista. Lu xun s two short story collections, nahan a call to arms or outcry and panghuang wandering, are often taken to mark the beginning of modern chinese literature, and are established classics. A majority of the first generation of modern chinese writers, not surprisingly, came from jiangnan provinces, including jiangsu, anhui, and zhejiang. Lu xun was also a deeply learned chronicler and critic of chinese literature.
Lu xun lu xun pen name of zhou shuren, 18811936 played a seminal role in the world of chinese literature and arts in the first decades of the 20 century. The inventor of the modern chinese short story, lu xun is universally regarded as twentieth century chinas greatest writer. Through thorough research into historical materials and archives, the author demonstrates that lu xun was recognized in the literary field much later than has hitherto been argued. He was trained in the jiangnan naval academy, the school of mining and railways, the kobun gakuin and the sendai medical school japan. Han kirjoitti novelleja, esseita ja runoja, ja hanta pidetaan kiinan modernin kirjallisuuden perustajana. Lu xun, wadegiles romanization lu hsun, pen name biming of zhou shuren, born september 25, 1881, shaoxing, zhejiang province, chinadied october 19, 1936, shanghai, chinese writer, commonly considered the greatest in 20thcentury chinese literature, who was also an important critic known for his sharp and unique essays on the historical traditions and modern conditions of china. In 1918, at the urging of friends, lu xun published a nowfamous short story, kuangren riji diary of a madman, modeled on a story by the russian writer nikolay gogol. As lu xuns health deteriorated over the first few months of 1936, some of lu xuns associatesagnes smedley, mao dun, etcfelt that lu xuns japanese doctor was not giving him good treatment, so they arranged for an american specialists in tuberculosis, dr. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Lu xun aesthetic and interpretive understanding 18. It was the first and most influential modern work written in vernacular chinese in the republican era, and would become a cornerstone piece of the new culture movement. His father died of tuberculosis while he was still a boy, which persuaded him to pursue a career in medicine. Lu xun is an important figure in modern chinese literature. Kuangren riji is a chinese short story published in 1918 by lu xun, one of the greatest writers in 20thcentury chinese literature. Among his most celebrated works are the true story of ahq aq zhengzhuan, diary of a madman kuangren riji, and my old hometown guxiang. Literary career short story kuangren riji diary of a madman. Modern chinas most prominent and influential writer, lu. Kuangren riji, or a madmans diary was published in may of 1918 and was quickly followed by his slightly longer story. Sebastian veg pursues his translation of the fictional works of the great modern chinese author lu xun 18811936, whom succeeding generations have put forward as the incarnation of the iconoclastic spirit of may fourth or as a harbinger of the communist revolution.
It was one of the first and most influential modern works written in vernacular chinese and would become a cornerstone of the new culture movement. This story contains the diary of a man who descends. Lu xun is the featured author in read paper republic, week 18, 15 october 2015. Diary of a madman kuangren riji, lu xun s first vernacular short story to appear in print, was published in the may 1918 issue of new youth xin qingnian, a radical journal edited by some of chinas foremost progressive thinkers. Lu xun es va casar amb ella, pero mai van tenir una relacio romantica. Lu xun is generally regarded as one of the most important of modern chinese writers. Diary of a madman kuangren riji, lu xuns first vernacular short story to appear in print, was published in the may 1918 issue of new youth xin qingnian, a radical journal edited by some of chinas foremost progressive thinkers.
Lu xun, born in 1881, was a boy at this time and thirty when the qing fell in 1911. The story was a sensation, capturing through the metaphor of cannibalism chinas struggle to escape the stifling grip of confucian tradition. Lu xun is the pen name of zhou shuren, born in 1881 to an educated family in zhejiang province, china. Lu xun s translations were important in a time when western literature was seldom read, and his literary criticisms remain acute and persuasively argued. Lu xun 183 march or april 245, courtesy name boyan, also sometimes referred to as lu yi, was a chinese military general and politician of the state of eastern wu during the three kingdoms period of china. The first westernstyle short story published in everyday chinese rather than classical chinese, it was a satiric attack on the traditional confucian culture of china. Hot wind lu xun hot wind full audiobook in chinese language duration. He chose the surname lu as it was his mothers maiden family name. In terms of literary art, lu xuns kuangren riji diary of a madman. Lu xuns word choice in naming this piece can shed much light on his intended purpose for the story. Lu xun zhou zhangshou daming, yushan zi, shuren was born and raised in shaoxing, zhejiang, in the heart of jiangnan, the cultural center of china since at least late imperial times. In this lesson, we will analyze and interpret the short story diary of a madman by lu xun. A madmans diary kindle edition by xun, lu, inguglia.
Lu xuns diary of a madman 100 years on mclc resource. A madmans diary is an attempt by lu xun to describe the effects of feudal values upon the chinese people. His short story kuangren riji the diary of a madman, modeled on nikolai gogols story of the. The story would become a cornerstone of the new culture movement. My interest concerns the relationship, or correspondence between textual bodies and the physical realities they are meant to represent, particularly where those representations involve the body as a discursive site for the intersection of state ideology and. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading a madmans diary. Sep 28, 2018 a hundred years ago, lu xun published a short story that would forever leave its mark on both chinese fiction and chinese history. Kuangren riji almost immediately established its author, lu xun 18811936, as an important writer of the then emerging new culture movement and has since gained recognition as a prototypical text of social protest and criticism in modern chinese literature. This long awaited volume presents new translations of all lu xuns stories, including his first, remembrances of the past, written in classical chinese. Modern chinas most prominent and influential writer, lu xun his life, his literary works and quotes with chinese text, pinyin, english translation and audio recording. Lu xun was a short story writer, editor, translator, critic, essayist and poet. Nov 11, 2019 in this lesson, we will analyze and interpret the short story diary of a madman by lu xun. A madmans diary kindle edition by xun, lu, inguglia, vito.
Taking the volume as a whole, it presents a fascinating view of the authors world. For an english translation see selected works of lu hsun, i, peking, 1956, pp. The relationship between the body and the state has been a question of profound significance for modern chinese literati dating back to the late qing, but it was lu xun who, with the publication of his short story kuangren riji diary of a madman, in 1918, initiated the literaty discourse on chinas apparent penchant for cannibalizing its. Lu xuns diary of a madman 100 years on mclc resource center. Xun lu september 25, 1881 october 19, 1936, chinese. It is worth noting that the official translation of gogols diary of a madman into chinese translated by zhou zuoren is fengren riji, whereas lu xun s work is titled kuangren riji. While both feng and kuang mean mad, there is a subtle. It is worth noting that the official translation of gogols diary of a madman into chinese translated by zhou zuoren is fengren riji, whereas lu xuns work is titled kuangren riji. A madmans diary kindle edition by xun, lu, inguglia, vito, meighan, paul. Modeled on the russian realist nikolay gogols tale of the same title, the story is a condemnation of traditional confucian culture, which the madman narrator sees as a maneating society. Modern chinas most prominent and influential writer, lu xun. Writing in vernacular chinese as well as classical chinese, lu xun was a novelist, editor, translator, literary critic, essayist, and poet. By offering a reflection of lu xun in his stories on another desired modernity, veg calls for reenvisaging the history of may fourth ideas according to lu xuns lucid and at the same time human perspective. Lu xun, pen name of zhou shuren, 18811936 played a seminal role in the world of chinese literature and arts in the first decades of the 20 th century.
It is the first story in the book call to arms, a collection of short stories by lu xun. In keeping with the new culture movement, the short story was critical of traditional confucian ideas. Aug 04, 2016 lu xun lived through a time of tremendous change in chinese society. Lu was initially reluctant to contribute to new youth, but eventually was persuaded to submit the story diary of a madman, kuangren riji. Its title is influenced by nikolai gogols short story diary of a madman. The mad protagonist of this story sees deceit in those around him, and comes to the realization. The next map below is of china in 1930, under the government of the kmt near the end of lu xun s life. Njegova socijalna misao i kritika tradicionalnog drustva. This short story, as the title promises, presents the fragmented. He now offers us a new french translation of the first collection of lu xuns short stories entitled cris nahan in mandarin. He uses an analogy of cannibalism to describe the way such outdated values eat away at the individual. In may 1918, lu xun used this pen name for the first time and published the first major baihua short story, kuangren riji. Why is lu xun treated like a god of literature in china. Lu xun s word choice in naming this piece can shed much light on his intended purpose for the story.
It is placed first in call to arms, a collection of short stories by lu xun. Lu xun and the diary of a madman the translated chinese. Partly inspired by the gogol short story, it was a scathing criticism of outdated chinese traditions and feudalism which was metaphorically gnawing at the. Oct 15, 2015 lu xun is the featured author in read paper republic, week 18, 15 october 2015.