Tag Archives: Modernism

Medicine for sick society

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In Medicine, Lu Xun uses symbolism to criticize feudalism in China. There are two themes in the story: First, Little bolt’s parents spend a bundle of money to buy a mantou with blood of executed man to cure his tuberculosis. Second, revolutionist Xia Yu is executed and his blood is used to make medicine (mantou with blood) to cure little bolt.

Little bolt symbolizes a sick society where people believe “mantou soaked in human blood is a guaranteed cure for any kind of T.B” (256).  When Little bolt is eating mantou in tea shop, crowds keep saying “Guaranteed cure! Guaranteed!” but Little bolt is getting worse and died at the end. Tuberculosis is incurable during that time period, it represents the society is very sick and incurable. People in feudal society are benighted and superstitious.

On the left side of Little bolt’s graveyard lie the body of Xia Yu, a revolutionist who has been executed. He died for the benefits of public, but ironically, his blood was used as medicine to cure the diseases. Moreover, his story becomes hot topic in the tea shop, people don’t understand him rather making fun at him, saying his words “The Great Manchu Empire belongs to all of us” (257) is crazy talk. The whole story reflects people’s ignorance and incomprehension of the importance of revolution.

One thing I noticed about two characters in Medicine is that putting together Little bolts’ last name “Hua” and Xia Yu’s last name “Xia” can form a word “Huaxia”, which is an ancient name for China. I believe this represents Lu Xun’s idea and support of revolution of China in 20th century.

One question is raised when I was reading the story is that who put flowers on Xia Yu’s mound?

Perspective of madness in need of a Change

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The story “Diary of a Mad Man” by Lu Xun is a person who suffers from severe schizophrenia. He thinks that people are always going to eat him, whenever they look at him. This “insanity” he procures is showing the ugly side of the society in which  corruption is highly present. His fear of seeing people staring at him and having thought of cannibalism made him be a “madman”. The story is based on a vernacular pattern, in which the reader must’ve gotten from the brother. However. the realistic view is giving an insight of the revolutionary changed that has occurred in feudalistic China.

Cannibalism has been in happening for a long time in China, therefore, Lu Xun describes cannibalism in a form of feudalism. Feudalism is old, broken, savaged and uninteresting. In correlated to cannibalism in which it is pictured to show people eating away other people’s soul because that’s how feudalism is.  Feudalism enables to take away people pride and soul and making them suffer much.  This is almost same when we have read  Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” encouraging the family to sell their children for profit or eating them so the children can become beneficial to the society.

Lu Xun gives us the flaws on Feudalism but it’s really hard to get rid of the system. As it related when he mentions “Savage as a lion, timid as a rabbit, crafty as a fox” (248 Lu Xun). In describing the Zhao’s family dog’s to his own brother representing the characteristic of feudalism. Since Feudalism was established a long time ago it is hard to get rid of it for a change, since people was already comfortable with the old system. Therefore, it’s up to the next generation on how they procure to make that change happen as he mentions “Save the children” (253 Lu Xun) In saying they’re the hope for the future of the society and untouched by humans who might be eating them. Thus ending his vicious thought of cannibalism and brought up the change in society.