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| Painting of Lu Xun (Photo Source: The Guardian) |
Attempt to answer the following overarching question based on your readings of these two stories: what is new about the new cultural movement?
Read the two short stories closely and use concrete textual evidence (short quotes with page numbers) from the stories to analyze them as representative voices of the May Fourth New Cultural Movement.
Cite Lu Xun and Rou Shi in full when referring to the authors as they are both pen names.
In 1918, the writer Lu Xun published the first and justifiably famous story in modern
ReplyDeleteChinese, Diary of a Madman. The central idea of this novel is to expose the darkness of the feudal society. Lu Xun used sarcasm to expose disadvantages of family system and feudal ethical codes. Diary of a Madman is a milestone in the history of Chinese modern literature. Lu Xun once said this fiction “shows the achievement of ‘literary revolution’”, and “inspires young readers by its ‘profound meaning and particular style’”. Rou Shi, Lu Xun’s student, also a famous revolutionary writer. His most famous fiction is Slave Mother. In this fiction, author exposes people received severe repression because of the feudal system,and author expressed sympathy towards rural women.
Both Lu Xun and Rou Shi are pioneers in The new culture movement. This movement is a mental emancipation revolution. The main points of this revolution are promote democracy and science and advocates the new literature, opposes the old literature. To compare with other movements happened in China, this movement mainly focus on mental emancipation. Leaders in this movement thought the most serious problem in China was people lack of democratic consciousness. In order to solve this problem, leaders used newspaper and magazine to let people learn advanced ideas from western. In short, The new culture movement has great significance in the history of Chinese modern revolution.
I think Chinese was lack of democratic consciousness because a lot of cities was colonized by foreigners. The Chinese was in darkness.
DeleteI agree that a change of mentality was needed for the Chinese to achieve political liberation.
DeleteThe new cultural movement focuses on sciences rather than religious beliefs. The Confucian beliefs are been overturn by the movements. The writings of Luxun and Ruoshi described the society in which people furiously searching for the right way of living. The immergence of Westernization has contradicted the traditional Confucian values. People are mixed in between the Western free style of thinking and the old Confucian values.
ReplyDeleteThe author of “Diary of A Madman” states, “Although I wasn’t aware of it in the beginning, now that I know I’m someone with four thousand years’ experience of cannibalism behind me, how hard it is to look real human beings in the eye. ( page 41.)” The “I” represented the whole population of China. People have been influenced too much by Confucian teachings. The teachings were too conservative and unadventurous. These people need new cultural advances and learn the Western cultures, which will change their “madman” status.
I agree with you. Confucian beliefs became a tool that ruling class use it to control people's thinking. People need to learn democracy and Science. Everyone should have their own independent personality
DeleteIt is interesting to notice the what is "I" represented. It changed for twice, and I guess"I" may represented people who are not be caught by the Confucian teachings.
DeleteI agree with you.That era people are greatly affected by the influence of Confucianism, they are conservative.
Deletei support you idea that what "I" represented and your description of science which match new movement is good.
DeleteAgree. The traditional beliefs deadened their minds.People refused to take risks to have some changes. At that age, people more likely to protect themselves with the knowledge they already gained from old times rather than outsiders. All the strange or weird things happened to "I" proved that reality.
DeleteI agree with you that The “I” represented the whole population of China. People have been influenced too much by Confucian teachings.
DeleteI also agree with your conclusion on the stories. I think that at the time it was a great movement and conflict for the people of China’s ideals to shift from their own traditional ideals to Western.
DeleteFrom these two articles, we know in China’s feudal era, people’s thought is very feudal and strange. After the victory of the Russian October revolution, encouraged by Lu Xun, he with many of the advanced intellectuals such as li dazhao, Chen duxiu, they were writing articles and Published in the magazine, it has opened the prologue of the May 4th movement in China. In his first vernacular fiction-----“Diary of Madman”, he relentlessly revealed the essence of several thousand years of feudal society of China, strongly complained the crime of feudalism and the feudal patriarchal system. In this article, talked about the "Eat people" Society, humanity, devoid of conscience. On page 32, in the first paragraph, “That woman’s words about “taking a good bite”, and laughter of that ghastly crew with their green faces….Those people are cannibals!” can be seen the author’s heart very anger and despair. In eat people’s society, if not be careful, will be eaten. The novel by " Save the children ...... " This sentence ends, was " I " called for helpless, the author hopes that children don't in this eat people’s society become callous.
ReplyDeleteMoreover，In the same period ,have a author named Rou Shi, he and Lu Xun were together to initiated New Culture Movement. He’s Novel “A slave Mother”, Works focus on depicting a oppressed, battered and abused the poor image of women – Ch’un-pao. Forced by life, she had to bite bullet left 5 year old son, she’s husband sell her to another village let her married a landlord to become a born son’s tool. She is a commodity and tool, she is a slave. On page 218, “The old woman turned around and replied coldly, “pick up your things and be off with you! You have to leave sooner or later anyway.””. You can see from this sentence feudal society “eat people” phenomenon is very serious. So, he and Lu Xun wanted to use the literature to wake up their mind and Liberate their feudal ideology.In the new culture movement they against the old moral and Advocate new ideas，this shows that they dislike of feudal society and desire for new social birth.
I agree with you. The victory of the Russian October revolution brought Marxism-Leninism to China. The new culture movement then started to promote marxism-leninism.
DeleteI agree with you. Lu Xun wanted to use the literature to wake up people's mind.
DeleteI really liked your discussion about his quote "Save the children!" he does not want the young generation to become like the society in establishment. He wanted the younger generation to be a part of the movement towards Western ideas.
DeleteI agree with you,"Diary of a Madman" is a new literature of modern China's first masterpieces,The art of the novel through the symbolic approach, mercilessly exposed the Chinese feudal society for thousands of years to eat human nature, a strong indictment of the feudal patriarchal feudal ethics and evil.
DeleteI agree with your statement of "Save the children...." Lu Xun didn't want future generations to become slaves to the old way. He wanted them to find something better.
DeleteEvery time you read Diary of Madman you would have different comprehension. I have read this in my middle school and I still impressed by some point about this novel from my middle school teacher. The common understanding is that Diary of Madman is a challenge from new culture to old morality and tradition. It shows that virtue and morality at that time is so fade and pathetic. After I read this novel again I have different comprehension from before. Madman had three aspects in his mind. First of all, he felt Zhao and passerby both were going to eat people. Then he realize that his brother was the same as others who was eating people. After that he doubt that he had eaten people but not on purpose. The change of these aspects showed that “I” was pathetic because “I” cannot change this situation though “I” knew this is bad. Save children showed that “I” think hope is in the future. But I wonder whether this is true. On page 31(or page 7), Mother told to her son she can take a good bite and stared to “I”, this may make the new generation to eat people. On page 40, the Madman said you ought to know in the future they are not going to allow cannibal anymore. I think the old morality has been last for about four thousand years. It is not easy to change it. so I think future in the novel is not a really beautiful future and only a dream.
ReplyDeleteFour thousand years is a long long.... time. It's difficult for people to change the old minds during that time. But, I think that is not just only a dream in the future. It has changed a lot in the modern society
DeleteIn my opinion, the thought of old morality cannot be totally negative, like fealty, polite, are all useful for today's society. So it could be partly continued in the history.
DeleteI think that "I" truly believed that the new generation would be able to break from the old traditions. Children are easily impressionable and can be conditioned to do the righteous deeds or bad ones
DeleteI think Lu Xun knew that it wasn't going to be easy to change the people's minds and make see and do things differently than they have been. He knew it would be a long and difficult road but he still had hopes that future generations would change China.
DeleteYou did a great job. I also believe that children can break away from old traditions, because they are more open to new things.
DeleteI agree with my fellow classmate that children are easily impressed but I also think that if older members of society were to keep some of the old traditions that it could also be saved some as well.
Delete"Diary of a Madman" written by Lu Xun is a short novel about the dairy of his friend's brothrt who is regarded as a madman. In his dairy, he is afraid of be eaten by other people and he thought this is the society full of people who will eat people. The second one named " A Slave Mother" by Rou Shi described a miserable life of a woman, the mother of Chun Bao, she even does not have a name in the novel. She was hired by Li family as a temporary wife to give birth to a son for Li family. When she beared a baby named Qiu Bao, she became much sick and yellow, Chun Bao cannot even recognized her.
ReplyDelete"Diary of a Madman" is the first novel which use the contempoprary literary form, represented the author's opinion towards the old society, which looks "virture and morality" but in fact is just abusing of the spirits. The "madman" even said," I tried to look this up, but my history has no chronology, and scrawled all over each page are the words: "Virtue and Morality." Since I could not sleep anyway, I read intently half the night, until I began to see words between the lines, the whole book being filled with the two words—"Eat people," (Lu Xun, 32) which reflected the true purpose of the author. For " A Slave Mother," it shows the miserable life of the woman during the period around 1930s. She cannot got the rights to be a mother, wife and even sold by her husband to bear a baby for anotherman, which looks impossible in modern society. But it happened in that period. I think both of the novels discussed about how the society "eat people." And also reflected the desire of the authors to free the spirits for the most part of people. Another interesting part for me is that, what is true madness? For that time, some ideas may be crazy, but for now it could be pretty normal.
It's really incredible how the idea of "eat people" actually ties both stories together quite well. For Lu Xun, it was a matter of ideologies enabling people to survive by stepping on others. In "The Slave Mother," we actually see this illustrated in the way that the protagonist gets exploited by her original husband, her hsiu-ts’ai and his wife. Her rights and livelihood are totally cast aside as she is used as a Womb for Hire. Her children and her living arrangements are ripped away from her for the gain of others and at the expense of her own happiness, joy feeding on pain.
DeleteThe madness is that people can't say what they think. The Chinese was under the control. They didn't have the freedom at that time. The society was pedantry and aloof. Consequently, the people became the same way.
DeleteMost revolutionary ideas were initially thought of as being "crazy". Democracy was when it was first introduced.
DeleteThe ideals of the New Cultural Movement in China were deeply rooted in western ideas such as science and technology, revolting against traditional culture. Thus, literature experienced a dramatic shift from the classical style to a vernacular, relevant approach. Two influential writers during this time, Lu Xun and Rou Shi, published works written in common language calling for regeneration among the Chinese people. Their stories, “Diary of a Madman” and “A Slave Mother,” communicate their revolutionary ideas through realism.
ReplyDeleteIn the preface of Lu Xun’s “Diary of a Madman,” he seeks to revive the Chinese not in body, but in spirit, believing literature to have the greatest affect on the soul, “The most important thing to be done was to transform their spirits, and of course the best way to affect a spiritual transformation – or so I thought at the time – would be through literature and art” (Xun 23). The theme of cannibalism throughout this story exhibits his views on the destructiveness of the rigid structure of traditional values, allowing his audience to engage in its horror. The conflict between reality and insanity is apparent. Similarly, Rou Shi’s “A Slave Mother,” shows the plight of a young mother to depict oppression within the traditional system. The author used a peasant woman as the main character, portraying the unjustness of her situation. She did not have a voice in being sold, nor in her children’s future. This piece advocates for women’s rights, while also seeking to reveal gender and class distinctions within the conventional system. Both stories rely heavily on realism, demonstrated by the ending of each story without resolution –
“Although I wasn’t aware of it in the beginning, now that I know I’m someone with four thousand years’ experience of cannibalism behind me, how hard it is to look real human beings in the eye! Maybe there are some children around who still haven’t eaten human flesh. Save the children…” (Xun 41).
“The long night, silent and cold as death, seemed to drag on endlessly” (Shi 219).
The new style of realism in these stories implore the audience to understand the reality of the current situation entrenched in old ideals and the desperate need for a cultural revolution.
I liked how you focused the 2 articles around realism. I never thought of it that way. To look at these stories as realism and compare them to what was going on in this time in reality was a good way of looking at things. Great post. Really showed us how they had a cultural revolution.
DeleteThe observation that both stories were left without resolution was great; it ties perfectly into the idea that feudal China was dragging on and on, relentlessly destroying what chance China had of becoming modernized, to the point that there was no end in sight. It's also crazy to think that Lu Xun had completely given up on his generation of countrymen, but he may have also used the phrase "Save the Children" as a rally to show his generation how disgraceful he thought they were, and that he was daring them to change.
DeleteI didn't even make that connection of unresolved endings between the two. It could be inferred that the stories do not end there and that we, the readers, have the responsibility of continuing the story. "Save the children..." [Lu Xun, 41]. This phrase could even be taken as a push, a 'call to arms', to continue the story in a positive manner.
DeleteI did not catch onto that either. By not giving the stories endings it leaves it up to the reader as to how it ends. That may have been why the stories had such a large impact.
DeleteI agree with both Victoria and Garrit. Having an ending left to interpretation really makes the audience "think" about the situation. Just take for example any movie that we have seen in the past that have left the ending for interpretation. We come out of the movie discussing and deducing moments in the movie with our friends to try and come to a consensus and conclusion.
DeleteThe Dairy of a Madman was China’s first modern story that avoided traditional techniques of omniscient narration and replaced it with the diarist’s first person, subjective point of view. Even though it was written first person, the “I” stood for the population of China. The story presents a sarcastic view of Chinese history, culture, and social life. The story represents the harsh nature of Chinese Confucian culture as a "man-eating" society where the strong devour the weak. In the story, cannibalism is a satire of traditional Confucian scholarship. The madman represents a rebel and a social critic whose madness is a kind of sanity. The story reveals Lu Xun's interest in changing society -- in converting people from "cannibalism" to a higher level of humanity. On page 38 it says, “But later on, because their ways of thinking changed, some gave up the practice and tried their level best to improve themselves; they kept on changing until they become human beings, real human beings. But the others didn’t; they just kept right on their cannibalism and stayed at the primitive level.” This quote represents the spirit of progress and reform at both the personal and social levels; the rejection of an oppressive traditionalism, ignorance, and conformity. This new cultural movement to adapt to Western cultures is the “cannibals” changing to real human beings.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, “Slave Mother” written by Rou Shi concerns the oppression of women in the old society. It describes the horrible life lead by a woman who does not have the right to be a mother. Her husband sells her to another man, as a temporary wife, to give birth to a son. At the end of the story, the son does not even recognize the mother anymore. Both stories are about the changing ways of Chinese culture. This idea of moving forward into a new culture based off Western ideas. This idea of selling your wife might sound crazy to today’s culture but this is the type of culture China needed a revolution from.
You bring up a very important point regarding the change in perspective in narrative during this time. May Fourth literature definitely brings in the "I," the subjective point of reference. When literature becomes vernacular, it becomes personal. In this way, it also holds the writer responsible for what they write because it directly reflects on them. They can no longer hide behind the mask of a fictional third-person character. They can no longer separate their feelings and ideas by the gap created by the third person. I wonder what effect using the notorious first-person "I" might have on the collectivism among Chinese culture. It seems like it would promote individualism in art.
DeleteI like the quote that you had use in the first paragraph in regards to the people staying primitive. If China had not gone through with the changes that it did, China could have possibly have fallen even further behind against the other world powers.
DeleteI used the same quote describing the change from cannibals to real human beings. I thought it was a pretty cool and powerful quote.
DeleteI strongly agree with your post. The stories seem so shocking to us today, yet during the May 4th movement, they were perfect examples of why China needed a revolution.
DeleteThe rejuvenating aspect of the May Fourth Movement literature is the relinquishing grip on traditional Confucianism. This modernization took the form of authors using an international focus of China as a nation among a world of other nations. An example of this can be seen in The Diary of a Madman, where Lu Xun writes: "it gradually dawned on me that Chinese doctors were nothing more than quacks, whether intentional or unwitting... I had also come to know that by and large the modernization of Japan had its beginnings in their study of Western medicine" (22). This is a vast contrast to the prevailing context of Chinese literature, with its focus on traditional knowledge and a sequestering of China as a distinct and isolated empire resulting in the belief that anybody studying "foreign things" is "a down-an-outer at the end of his rope" (22). For the first time, literature started to take a broader view of China, viewing it as an interaction between other nations. The idea that Chinese medicine can be modernized by incorporating Western concepts is an example of this.
ReplyDeleteA similar transition to modern values can be seen in the short story "The Slave Mother." Where traditional Confucianist literature reflects a submissive reproductive role of women as mothers, this revolutionary work paints this situation in a less than glorious light. The protagonist is portrayed as cruelly oppressed and unbearably unhappy: women were not given the freedom to choose their own outcomes or familial arrangements and were treated as property. The main character gets “pawned” as a “concubine” in order to be “put to use” (208). She must follow her husband's instructions and live with the hsiu-ts’ai to bear him a child. When she arrives, she must obey the hsiu-ts’ai and serve him as a surrogate, as well as be “submissive to his wife” (210). Despite serving out her role as a surrogate, she does not have the freedom to choose to stay with her child. This shows that there was no liberty for women in this period of Chinese history, which is a very novel rebuttal to the prevailing values.
"For the first time, literature started to take a broader view of China, viewing it as an interaction between other nations."
DeleteI like this observation; what I like even more is that if you were to read these stories outside of the context of what was happening in China at the time, this idea would be in no way apparent; the writers used problems that could have been during any era of Chinese history, and found a way to project a commentary through these stories about what was actually happening to their country; the writers knew that the ones reading this would get the message loud in clear, because the apathy of old China was more apparent than ever.
I agree with Tyler regarding your statement about a broader view of China in literature. The stories virtually shout the weakness of China, and pose questions about contending with the growing influence of countries like Japan. The Western ideas they incorporate in their works are so important in lifting China to a platform of believing that they can be involved in international politics.
DeleteFrom the two short stories this week, “Slave Mother” by Rou Shi and “Diary of a Madman” by Lu Xun, we see two authors pushing for a “new” China through some vigorous social commentary. Beginning with “Diary of a Madman,” Lu Xun begins with an introduction in the old Chinese language, laying out the plot for the story, then completely abandons the old Chinese for the vernacular once the story begins; was this method used to honor, or to dishonor the traditional language of his people? There had been hardly any writings in the vernacular up until this point, and then Lu Xun flips the table as if saying “the old language is of no use to me.” On page 37 of “Diary of a Madman,” Lu Xun’s character, speaking of cannibalism, writes: “Just because its always been that way, does that make it right?” and “…they all join in together to hold each other back, and talk each other out of it. That’s it! They’d rather die than take one little step.”
ReplyDeleteFurther down in the second paragraph of page 40 of “Diary of a Madman,” Lu Xun’s character continues his rant on “cannibalism,” claiming that if the people do not change, then the entire group of cannibals will be eliminated because others will come along and eradicate them in their strife. To me, this sounds like more than cannibalism, but a China that is stuck in its old ways, holding each other back from progression while the rest of the world is leaping forward; Lu Xun is claiming that just because China has always been this way does not mean that it cannot change for the better, allowing the country to survive. Furthermore, in “Slave Mother” we see Rou Shi use the story of the woman being sold to the old man as symbolism for China’s lack of nationalism, and the consequences of giving up your pride and your responsibility as a native Chinese in the changing 20th century world. Instead of finding a more rational way to settle his family’s money problems, “Yellow Fatty” takes the advice of old China (Granny Shen) and basically allows his wife to become a concubine to the old man for $100, while the new China approach would have been to have the wife work since he was unable, or any “fill in the blank” occupation. Because they decided to follow the solutions of old China, the family (Modern China) is torn apart and ruined. Through literature, the New Cultural Movement attacked the Confucian foundations of old China, and proposed that maybe change is not such a bad thing after all.
I agree that Lu Xun thought that the Chinese people were dooming themselves by refusing change.
DeleteThe old morality had last for about four thousand years, it is hard to change it. Lu Xun tried to advocate people to change this situation.
DeleteI agree with you completely and your use of "commentary". I said this last week and again this week, the authors used this indirect manner of conveying to the audience a message many were too afraid to publicly admit that there was indeed a problem, but scared at the same time of change.
DeleteI agree with you that Lu Xun is claiming that just because China has always been this way does not mean that it cannot change for the better. Lu Xun realized the problem was and he thhought we can be better in the future.
Delete"Diary of a Madman" is the "Scream" that one, the tone of the novel in the first person narrative of a "madman" story. He was afraid of all eyes, always feel that people want to harm him, and want to eat him. The doctor gave him a doctor, let him "resting", he would be considered to be fattened him more meat. (p33) He remembered her brother had told him, exchange children and eat them, "skin used as a sleeping mat" things, (p34) and then think about the "sister" died, brother to persuade his mother not to cry, then that is brother sister eat. (p40) "Mad Men" more resistance "cannibalism", Vietnam is considered to be a "crazy" when he is completely disappointed in the transformation of the surrounding environment, he also "cure", and go to a certain place when the official candidate. Novel "Madman" is actually awakening image of intellectuals, he was surrounded by feudal ethical erosion of the soul, he fears and resistance is feudal tradition cannibalistic practice.
ReplyDeleteIn this work, we can see that the persecution mad madman while having the spirit of features, but deep implication of the work is a conscious point to thousands of years of history and society at that time the "cannibalism" phenomenon from the ancient "exchange children and eat them" to "before Sirius Village tenants who eat darling thing". Although the content works with non-logical madman psychological characteristics, but always around the" cannibalism ", around the Chinese nation for thousands of years continue to occur in the history of history can be found all kinds of recorded history and no man-eating phenomenon, its intent is obvious.
I like your idea.I think If you want to completely get rid of the phenomenon of eat people, not only to give them to instill new ideas, more should start from the child's education
DeleteI think its funny how Lu Xun wants to save the children but wrote such horrifying stories for the public to read.
DeleteI agree with Yiwen's opinion. It was strange when I read it at first time in middle school.
DeleteI think Lu Xun wrote such horrifying stories for the public to read is order to tell people the cruel reality. He hoped to arouse people's awareness of anti-feudal and new thought. In my opinion, "save children" means save the new ideas, save the future, save china.
DeleteI found the Diary of a Madman to be very interesting. I believe the writing is very metaphorical and is making a point about how things were in China at the time. It also reminds me of "A Modest Proposal", written by Jonathan Swift in that it talks about something that people would normally find absurd (selling unwanted babies for food, or in this case cannibalism), yet there is a deeper meaning behind it. In particular, the quote on p. 37 stands out to me the most, "'Maybe they are, but it's always been that way, it's -' 'Just because it's always been that way, does that make it right?'" This statement is a foundation for revolution and reform.
ReplyDelete"A Slave-Mother" was a very sad story to me. It definitely shows how oppressed women were and how they were treated like property: able to be bought and sold whenever. Just when she starts to find happiness with her newborn son, she is tossed back into her old life with even less than before now that her first son does not even recognize her as his mother. The story even hints that the mother dies at the end, "The long night, silent and cold as death, seemed to drag on endlessly." (p.219) This may have been an extreme situation, but the story absolutely sent a message to the audience that a revolution was needed.
I agree with you. Women at that time were treated like property and did not have many rights as men.
DeleteI also would argue that "A Slave-Mother" reflects during that time how women were simply property and had few opportunities and rights of their own.
Deleteyou have good summary of the two story and brings the idea which China needs to be reformed. China needs to renew!
DeleteI feel the same way about "Slave Mother," It was very graphic, and provided excruciating details about why China needed to change. It really did send a message to the audience to look beyond closed doors and, in some instances, the extremes are prevalent.
DeleteIn Lu Xun's the "Diary of a Madman", he writes about there being people who were cannibals and they have been practicing it for a long time. The narrator of the story sees this and questions if it really is okay for people to keep practicing this. He is seen as the one as crazy and mad because he is the minority with these thoughts. The practice of cannibalism in this story represented China and it's culture of that time. Not that they ate people but the thought that the old ways wasn't exactly the right way anymore. And the main character was seen as mad by the rest because was having new ideas and the people were still stuck with the old ways and thinking. For them it was normal to eat people in the story just like it was normal for people to follow the Confucius teachings in China. For like most people, the norm is decided by the majority. What Lu Xun wanted people to think about was that just because you have been doing things for a very long time doesn't mean it should be accepted and thought as being the right way of doing things. If the old ways are outdated then it is a time for change. In the story Lu Xun mentions that the it is hard to make someone change when they already have a long history of them doing the same thing. He says maybe if there are children who hasn't eaten the flesh of human can still be saved from doing the same thing. When this is mention in the story I think it means that the people who have lived their lives and learned only the Confucian teachings then it was near impossible to make them change their way of living, but the children had a chance to live differently. If they wanted to change the ways of China then they had to teach the youth the new ideas. Children are the future so if they wanted change then they would have to depend on the kids to bring about a new future and a new China.
ReplyDeleteLu Xun’s “Diary of a Madman” and Rou Shi’s “ A Slave Mother” both described there are no “benevolence, righteousness, and morality” around 1930( Lu, P33). The two articles narrated two incredible stories to illustrate the people in the period were apathetic and pedantic. “Diary of a Madman” narrated that people eat people. “A Slave Mother” wrote a story that the man pawned his wife to another old man for three years. The purpose of the business was that let the woman got son for the old man. I can feel that people didn’t have morality at that time.
ReplyDeleteWhy people were so apathetic and pedantic? In the “Diary of a Madman”, the brother said “ I am not going to discuss such things with you. If you insist on taking about that, then you are the one who’s in the wrong” (Lu, p37). Why people can’t say the truth or disagreements？ During the historical period, May Forth Movement occurred. Lu Xun and Rou shi tried to described the Chinese at that time were repressed by telling the stories. In the chapter 13, the last sentence is “save the children”(lu, p41). I think Children at here means the young people and the future of China. Besides that, this sentence also represent Lu Xun ‘s dream. He changed majors many times. Ultimately, he decided to be a writer. This is his purpose is to wake up people by his articles.
At the time of the feudal society, the liberation of people's thought is a big job.Represented by Lu Xun in the new culture movement, enough to let us have a new understanding on the society, make China to the progress and development of health.
DeleteThe new culture movement was a great step for China to become more modernize/westernize. It provided many chinese people with the idea of independent thinking and vernacular language instead of archaic language. The new culture movement correlates with the story because we see within the Diaries of a Madman "Physically, they were as strong and healthy as atone could ask, but their expressions revealed all too clearly that spiritually they were calloused and numb" (Page 23) shows that the character is showing remorse since it was his own countryman that was being beheaded while the others in the pictures did not. This made him go into persuading people with literature. Having a regular education, studying the classics and mathematics, was what every child had to go through and that was considered the norm. But, Lu Xun was also interested in the stranger and more abstract studies as well. This at the time was actually looked down upon since it was against the norm. The actual story is kind of strange that there was a village that still practiced cannibalism. The main character was trying to speak the "unspoken truth" about the village and there he was looked down upon as if he was some madman. This shows that cultural traditions are very hard to change especially if its one person against an entire population. However, at the end of the story, the character says "Save the children..." (Page 41) which indicates that he is hoping that the future can be saved since children were the essence of innocence. This also could point to the fact that the new generation would be able to make a change that the older generation weren't able to.
ReplyDeleteWith the other novel you see the women being a slave because she was put up for sale in order to bring in money. This brought up the issues with the roles that women had during this time period. "She lay on a filthy narrow bed eyes wide open...Ch'un-pao had already fallen asleep. She turned over and held him close to her" (Page 219) demonstrates the role of women back then which was to just take care of the house hold chores and children. Each story harshly criticized China's society and made them look at themselves. This ultimately led to the creation of PRC and I quote Mao Zedong "This marked a new stage in China's bourgeois-democratic revolution against imperialism and feudalism".
"Physically, they were as strong and healthy as atone could ask, but their expressions revealed all too clearly that spiritually they were calloused and numb" I like this quote. The author believed that "eating people" was a common phenomenon existing in the society for a long time. Thats one of the worst instincts of humanity. Its nothing to do with kannibalismus.
DeleteBy the time the New Culture Movement came about, many educated people in China wanted a contemporary, Westernized culture that they felt would propel them back into being a world power and stop them from being divided, cheated, and left behind by modernized nations. Social criticism of the traditional culture had been around for decades, but now the reformers focused their disdain not only on the Confucian traditions but also on the people of China who followed this old culture.
ReplyDeleteLu Xun’s “Diary of a Madman” and Rou Shi’s “A Slave Mother” are allegories which are particularly spiteful toward people trapped by the old culture. The authors compare the followers of traditional Chinese culture to “slaves” and “madmen.” The unnamed mother in “A Slave Mother” represents the population of China, torn between two ways of life. Ch’iu-pao represents the promise of new culture, while Ch’un-pao represents the old culture. The mother, because she is so focused on her oldest son, gives up her superior life with the hsiu-ts’ai and her new son, because she cannot let go of Ch’un-pao. “The hsiu-ts’ai sighed. ‘No matter how good I am to you, you’re always more attached to your former husband and son.’” (Rou Shi, p. 217) In the same way, Rou Shi warns the Chinese people that if they constrain themselves to the old way of life, they too will find unhappiness. In Lu Xun’s “Diary of a Madman,” the content is certainly important, but Lu Xun’s method of writing is also very telling of the author’s opinions. Lu Xun uses frame storytelling and dramatic irony to convey the position of the intellectuals, who knew that the common people were “mad” for continuing to submit to the “cannibalistic” nature of the Westernized countries despite the impending consequences. “That’s it! They’d rather die than take that one little step.” (Lu Xun, p. 37) In contrast to the intellectuals, the common people cannot clearly see what is going on and thus are unable to enact the changes that the intellectuals want. The hostility of the educated, pro-change people toward the common, traditionalist people was a new kind of social criticism.
The new culture movement represented China’s major movement toward Westernization for the first time in history. Lu Xun thought he lived in an extreme miserable society in which people were uneducated and blinded by the traditional Confucian teachings. He work, “Diary of Madman” described how the society had no morals and people practiced cannibalism. Lu Xun writes, “Maybe there are some children around who still haven’t eaten human flesh. Save the children… (41).” From this quote, we can tell that Lu Xun is worried about the future of China. He wants to save the young children and not let them be exposed to the immoral society.
ReplyDeleteRuo Shi’s “Slave Mother” described how a man sold his wife to another old man. Ruo Shi was a student of Lu Xun. As a result, the main ideas from his work are very similar to that of Lu Xun’s. Both of them wanted the society to adopt to new changes. They like to write in a sarcastic style and joke about the society.
Lu Xun and Rou Shi have both written a fascinating story that shouldn’t be taken simply at face value. Lu Xun’s Diary of a Madman appears to strongly oppose the then current cultural tendencies of China. It seems as though he used the theme of cannibalism as a representation of the people’s inability to be fully unified. The people were warring amongst themselves. And outer forces were staring inwards at them raring to jump in and eat them up; represented by the “villagers” that stare at the madman and terrify him. “That’s when that ghastly crew of people, with their green faces and protruding fangs, began to roar with laughter” [Lu Xun, pg 31]. Rou Shi’s A Slave-Mother has an overbearing feeling of the status of women during these times. The young woman was simply a piece of property loaned out to bear a son to another man.
ReplyDeleteBoth pieces feel as though they have a rebellious overtone, completely speaking out against the current state of affairs. In the beginning of A Slave-Mother, we see the family’s poor financial state which could reflect how China’s people are spiritually poor as well as having low morale. Diary of a Madman reinforces that notion having the symbolic them of “cannibalism” overtones that suggest disunity and poor intercommunications.
I like how you pointed out how the readings both had much deeper meanings. Your interpretation of the cannibalism theme makes a great deal of sense as well. I also like how both of the readings this week seem somewhat like early revolutionary propaganda.
DeleteThe Dairy of Madman mainly talks about an madman who scare people and he even think people will eat him. For example, from page 35, chapter 5 it says, “ During the past few…... he not cannibal too? ” “ And as far for my own elder brother……as well.” . It show “I” start to think how crazy people are and people eating people’s meat. So he try to against the people who eat meat. However, the villagers treated “I” as a alien. Finally, when “I” realize he can not change his native place, he has been recovered.
ReplyDeleteThus, The story brings about the society phenomena that “I” represent arousal educator and “I”’s fear symbolize that tradition of China’s system affect people have no mind to renew themselves.
In terms of new culture movement, LuXun act like a fighter by using his pen and advertise his independent spirit. He identified the truth about China and encourage people to recognize their feudal ideology. Then, China start to spread western culture and support people to chase their dream. People start to figure out democracy and explore new development of China. Overall, new culture movement renews literature to create new language’s structure, against superstition and advocate well morality.
Lu Xun and his student Rou Shi both had a major influence on the changing of Chinese philosophy from the traditional, Confucius way of thinking, to a modern democratic ideology. Lu Xun, who wrote "Diary of a Madman" had the idea that the best way to change people's views was through literature. "Diary of a Madman" was the first vernacular piece of writing to come out of China. In this story Lu Xun views the traditional Chinese as cannibals. This of course is a metaphor to insinuate how primitive the Chinese people actually were. One line stood out to me from the text "Most folks thought that anyone engaged in what was known as '" studying foreign things"' must be a down and outer at the end of his rope, with no choice but to sell his soul to the foreigners. Such a person was was of course fair game for the most severe forms of ostracism and ridicule." (pg 22) Through this Lu Xun illustrated the major flaw in Chinese ideology. Through a the distancing of western ideas, the Chinese were in fact crippling themselves in the modern world.
ReplyDeleteIn Rou Shi’s "Slave Mother" Rou also used the vernacular style of writing to show how unfair society was to women. He could have used this story as an analogy, having the woman actually represent China itself and it having absolutely no say in what was happening to it. It being powerless to make any decisions for itself.
I like how you make the point on the crippling effect isolation has on China. I think the writers are also calling for the Chinese people to no longer be isolated in China's affairs, but to be actively involved in changing the traditional system.
DeleteThe Diary of a Madman is the written diary of the younger brother who lives in this village where he believes that everyone is a cannibal. He begins to believe this because of what he hears other people saying, and soon he fears that he may be eaten next. It is hard to read through the words of the writer to determine the realism through his twisted viewpoint in reality, like when he approaches his brother on page 39 and supposedly his brother "stood there with a cold smile, but then his eyes took on a murderous gleam." He then discovers that the townspeople accuse him of being a madman, because then it wouldn't be wrong to eat him. This work can be referenced to traditional culture and how it has gone on for so long which seems to make it okay. His last entry on page 41 "Maybe there are some children around who still haven't eaten the flesh. Save the children..." was very interesting to me because of how traditions are passed down through the generations, but how that can be stopped.
ReplyDelete"Slave Mother" was a very sad story of a woman who is loaned out to be a concubine because her husband cannot pay his debts. This showed a lot of the oppression men held over women in traditional times because instead of her working to earn money, it was seen as acceptable for her to be loaned to provide for her husband. On page 209, it was sickening to read the death of the baby girl and see the brutality of the husband. Although we find this type of thing horrifying, there appeared to be nothing wrong with his actions according to the traditional ways.
Both pieces gave a very negative viewpoint to the traditions that had been going on for thousands of years. The terrible things that the "Yellow Fatty" did to his wife and children and the cannibalism seen in the diary. Just because these things had been happening for so long, didn't mean they were right.
Lu Xun and Rou Shi became great influential leaders through their literature by not attacking China directly and its lack of response to strive and modernize at the time. Stated by me last week on the blog of “The turn of the 20th century response,” I stressed that authors who used indirect ways of attacking a certain problem were the most powerful. By using metaphors and other stories that have a much deeper meaning, the audience is then able to interpret and analyze the text themselves. It provides a somewhat “insight” of what “could” happen by using these secondary characters and stories. For example, in Lu Xun’s “Diary of a Madman” the audience can see just from the preface that Lu Xun was directly commenting on the situation of the “New Culture Movement”. From the quote on page 27 from “Diary of a Madman” it states “Suppose there was an iron room with no windows or doors, a room it would be virtually impossible to break out of. And suppose you had some people inside the room who were sound asleep. Before long they would all suffocate. In other words, they would slip peacefully from a deep slumber of oblivion, spared the anguish of being conscious of their impending doom” (27 Lu Xun).
ReplyDeleteJust before this quote, Lu Xun talks about how “New Youth” a publication that was published every month in Shanghai associated with the New Culture Movement, and how people knew exactly what the New Culture Movement was pushing for but were both not publicly opposing nor accepting it. This was just one of many quotes Lu Xun provides within this excerpt to show how China was like this steel room. China being represented as a “steel room” shows exactly how China wanted to keep them, a country that could be powerful enough to live and prosper on its own. However, this was quickly rebutted by Lu Xun’s use of how the people in this steel box would eventually suffocate meaning China would be taking away from its people and the modernization the world around them could be offering. In Rou Shi’s “A Slave-Mother” Rou Shi has the same approach that Lu Xun does. He comments on the situation, status, and role of women at this time and exactly what the country and people thought of women in an indirect manner. Both authors use the idea of an indirect approach to comment on the situation in their country. They try to use these stories and metaphors so the people at the time could see and interpret for themselves what they wanted for themselves and the country. The people would ultimately be the ones to decide both their fate but also the countries.
I think you had a great response and had good examples.
DeleteI agree that these writers were using their writings along with allegories to attack the traditional ways indirectly. Your post was very interesting to read!
Deletewhat is new about the new cultural movement? I think it was advocating democracy and science, criticizing the pure traditional Chinese culture, and the spread of Marx thought.The basic content of the new culture movement four advocate, four against this, truly reflects the New Culture Movement "new". First,advocate democracy, against the dictatorship. Second,to promote science, against superstition and blind obedience. Next is to promote a new moral, against the old morality. The last is to promote a new literature, against the old literature.
ReplyDeleteLu Xun and Rou Shi have both written the stories focus on these four points of view. Lu Xun’s “Diary of a Madman” lashed out at the "eat man" of the old social system's Novels. (on page 38 )"way back in the beginning. it;s probably the case that primitive peoples all ate some human flesh. But later on, because their level best to improve thenselves; they kept on changing until they became human beings, real human beings. But the others did not; they just kept right on with thier cannibalism and stayed at that primitive level." Try to tell us that we should change our old social system and change the feudal ideology. Rou Shi's "slave mother", accusation presented to eat people of the old society. Chun Bao is a mother of two children, was deprived of parental love; she is a married woman, but not be lawful wife, enjoy the mother power. She is a commodity, tools, is a special kind of slaves. At that time, the situation of China, put forward a sound individualism means personal self salvation; women's Liberation means rescue others; break the family filial piety means save the children; and social freedom means equality struggle way.
Once again, this week's article can be related to overcoming traditional values, and making an attempt toward the acceptance of new beliefs. Lu Xun and Rou Shi are very important people when speaking of this movement; they are activists. Out with the old and in with the new! These two authors know that the traditional culture was always too conservative; China needed a revolution of the society as a whole. Publishing articles in very famous magazines was how they wanted to end the feudal system that was in place at the time, or considered the norm. Within these articles, the first person use of "I" can be viewed as symbolism. " I " was the author speaking for China. I believe one of the key aspects of this week's readings was symbolism. "A Slave Mother" in my opinion, was purely symbolism. This writing symbolized the vivid persona that shown through a victim of crime. The victim was just a single example of what could happen because of China's women's rights. This piece used the scare factor, to open the audience's eyes.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, Lu Xun's "Diary of a Madman" produces symbolism through the "cannibalism" theme. "Even though I'm to be the victim of cannibalism, I'm brother to a cannibal all the same."(Xun, Diary of a Madman pg.34) This writing as a whole, can be interpreted as a satire toward China; it can be toward China's society, their beliefs, their laws, and simply their cultural history.
Great response. The symbolism in both of these articles was very impressive and it's actually pretty terrifying to think that there was a time where people felt this way about their own society.
DeleteI like how you start with, "once again" because I too noticed that these articles and stories seem to all be about holding onto the past. It's a reminder that people do not like change no matter what the culture.
DeleteI agree with both your post and the comment above how these readings seem to be holding onto traditions that have been around for thousands of years. I believe it did make an interesting story that makes you thing. Good response!
DeleteThe short story “Diary of a Madman” by Lu Xun was very interesting. In the beginning of the story the narrator talks about a visit to these two brothers. The brothers seem to be close and were good friends. Although, the younger brother had a mental illness, which got better as he grew older. While dealing with his illness he wrote a diary… the madman’s diary. Going into the story it talks about how Lu Xun felt alienated from his family, this was because he considered his own brother as an enemy. In the story it also talks about how his views on the cannibalistic nature of humans and used different animals as symbols. The wolves and dogs were to represent the inhumane nature of the cannibals and the rabbits represented the humans that were being eaten.
ReplyDeleteIn the short story “A Slave Mother” just like “Diary of a Madman” used realism to display their own revolutionary ideas. Both Shi and Xun were considered pioneers. Shi was an animal skin dealer. He would buy the animals from the countryside and sell them in the city. In this piece it discusses a women’s abusive and horrible life. Talking about these real events shows the realism, rather than a religion or opinion affect.
I think you should read the "Diary of a Madman" carefully. It's really that Lu Xun has implied meaning in his words and hard to understand. But I think you should combine the novel with the social reality.
DeleteThe Diary of a Madman was a story that was the first of its kind to China. Compared to traditional Chinese literature, this story was very sarcastic towards the culture, social life, and history of China. An interesting technique that the author used in this story was writing it from a first person point of view. However, the author didn't use "I" to reference himself, but the entire country of China. Lu Xun uses a dark metaphor to describe China's current state: he portrays the country as a cannibalistic society where the strong eat the weak. This was Lu Xun's way of saying the China was still at a lower, savage-like level of humanity, and they needed to change their practices. "But later on, because their ways of thinking changed, some gave up the practice and tried their level best to improve themselves; they kept on changing until they became human beings, real human beings. But the others didn't; they just kept right on their cannibalism and stayed at the primitive level." (Page 38) This quote is describing how some of the Chinese citizens began to make the change from traditional values towards Western culture; the changing of "cannibals" into "real human beings."
ReplyDelete"Slave Mother" was also a somewhat depressing story, showing how dark and strange traditional Chinese values were. Rou Shi describes the oppression of women during this era. The story is about a woman who is married to man who will not allow her to have children, but then sells her to another man to birth his child. This just shows how a wife during this era was treated as a man's property, not how Americans perceive wives now. Both of the
This is a great response, and I agree with your reply in regards to the sarcastic tones against their own country. Personally, I felt uncomfortable while reading some parts, and I can't even begin to imagine how I would've felt if I were reading this during the time period that this was published.
DeleteIt really is interesting how he used himself in the story to symbolize all of china. It brings into perspective that even though china is so big they're all in this together, which really reflects back to the traditional views he is saying have been lost.
DeleteTo Confucianism, the so-called distinction between man and beast means that the brutal behaviors such as "eating people" should only belong to animals. However, it does not mean that only beasts have the brutal mentality. Every human beings do as well. The purpose of Confucianism was to teach and persuade people to overcome the beast part of the nature. The author inherited this concept, just like "You ought to know that in the future they're not going to allow cannibalism in the world anymore. if you dont change, you're going to devour each other anymore. And even if a lot of you are left, a real human being's going to come along and eradicate the lot of you, just like a hunter getting rid of wolves or reptiles!"( "Diary of a madman", page 40), to treat "eating people" as one of the beasts' behaviors and believed that this should be abandoned by the "real man". And then, at the same time, the author was deeply indignant about the incomplete and incompetent of the traditional moral codes and clamoring for getting rid of the "eating people" behavior to accord with the "ideal future" The author did not require the removal of moral codes or to smash the tradition. On the contrary, he took them far more extremely.
ReplyDelete“Slave Mother”
In feudal China, family was the core of society, but individuals, as the tools of families and the monarch, were just the tiny points connected by blood ties. Especially women, they barely had social status. The tragic fate of the female character in this novel was an epitome of reality of the old days' Chinese women under the oppression of the feudal system. Buying and selling women was common phenomenon at countryside. The theme of this novel was to bring charges against the oppression.
“Diary of a Madman” was written by Lu Xun and first published in New Youth. We mentioned that the New Youth was published by Chen Duxiu last week, which advocated the new cultural movement. Lu Xun wrote this short novel in the vernacular to respond Chen Duxiu. The “Diary of Madman” is the first modern Chinese vernacular novel, and it wrote as a madman to point the darkness of feudal society. Through eating people, Lu Xun strongly criticized the feudal ethical codes. “There were no dates in this history, but scrawled this way and that across every page were the words BENEVOLENCE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, and MORALITY. Since I couldn’t get to sleep anyway, I read that history very carefully for most of the night, and finally I began to make out what was written between the lines; the whole volume was filled with a single phrase: EAT PEOPLE!”(Diary of a Madman, 1918, Lu Xun, chapter 3, page 32) Feudal ethical codes did not poison people of that time, but also brought endless harm to generations to come.
ReplyDeleteI think it’s hard to understand LuXun’s words, it has implied meanings. In the beginning of this novel, he mentioned many times that “seemed as though he was afraid of me and yet, at the same time, looked as though he had it in for me.” (Diary of a Madman, 1918, LuXun, chapter 2, page 30) After I read this short novel, I still can not understand the meaning of this sentence. Maybe it indicates the ugly spectators mentality. In the feudal society, everyone influenced by the feudal ethical codes. Like that, “Who’s to say I didn’t eat a few pieces of my younger sister’s flesh without knowing it?” (Diary of a Madman, 1918, LuXun, chapter 2, page 41) I think the last sentence, “save the children” means save China.
Even though I found these stories disturbing, when discussed I could see that they could easily have been metaphorical in some ways, esp. in the area of the cannibalism. It seems obvious to me now that they could have been eluding to cannibalizing just in over taking and consuming a persons life. It is a bit hard to pick this out when the main character is probably suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, and it’s being told in 1st person.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the second story, I didn’t get through very much at all. I got the immediate impression that in the story women were little more than livestock. Hopefully the author was trying to show how ridiculous that is and didn’t actually fell that way. It does also bring up the point that if women are nothing in society then some women will be willing to do whatever it takes to have even a little power even if that means selling out their own.