Major Issues
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Essay Questions

Major Issues

The history of Lu Xun’s critical reception reveals much about the subjective nature of interpretation. His writing has been lauded and celebrated by the political and cultural leaders of the Communist revolution, the Cultural Revolution, and the post-Maoist liberalization era. Meanwhile, he was recently labelled by Western Marxist critics as a "third world cultural revolutionary." Scholars have explored the influence of European short story writers on Lu Xun, including Guy De Maupassant, Nikolai Gogol, and Anton Chekhov. Of greater critical interest is Lu Xun’s influence on 20th century Chinese writers. Critics point to his innovative experimentation with form and genre, including allegory, satire, historical legend, and parody. They also note his introduction of the first person unreliable narrator into modern Chinese fiction. His significance as a founder of 20th century Chinese regionalist writing has also been examined.

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Lu Xun
An introduction to the "father of modern Chinese literature" and his major works.

Lu Xun: 1881-1936
This bio-critical essay explores Lu Xun’s literary and political legacy.

Waking Up Stones
Lu Xun’s education, philosophical, and political leanings are examined in this bio-critical piece.

Lu Xun
A brief overview of Lu Xun’s literary significance and list of works translated into English.