Lu Xun’s, “In the Wineshop”, explores political as well as societal issues with its simple tale of two old friends. This story seems to highlight the division of China between north and south, as well as differences in belief systems. The narrator specifically describes the differences between Northern China and Southern China by illustrating the flowers that peak through the snow in the South. He paints a grim picture of the North, but also suggests that the South has lost its potential since he’s last visited. Furthermore, we see a difference in opinion on the death of Ah Shun. The first-person narrator believes it was her fate, while Lu Wei-fu attributes her death to “futile affairs”. Lu Xun seems to weigh the two approaches and implement his opinion through the actions of each character in the narrative.
Personally, I always consider the conservative approach in my own affairs. I really believe that I am an old soul as I favor traditional approaches to familial as well as life affairs. Like traditional Confucian values, I believe in social order and virtue. In his narrative, Lu Xun seems to touch upon these Confucian values as well as ideas about faith. I believe the term “conservatism” mirrors much of what Confucianism stands for. Much of my conservatism can be attributed to my culture and upbringing. As a child, I spent much time with my grandparents and often had many conversations with them about morality. Much of what they taught me is engrained in the Yugoslavian culture, but also practiced through out many generations in my family. Growing up, I held on to these traditional values and never seemed to question them or take on a new approach.
Lu Xun also touches upon the idea of “fate” which correlates with ideas of superstition. This is what divided my grandfathers from my grandmothers. My grandfathers always applied logic to affairs while my grandmothers would often use religion and faith to explain events. As I grow older, I battle with these two ideologies. Sometimes I want to apply reason to situation, while other times I want to apply faith and superstition. Upon the death of my grandparents I found myself in a dilemma. I tried to attribute their deaths to their medical conditions, but at the same time I believed it was their fate. I tried to apply superstition to the events surrounding their death, but then I would undermine these ideas by analyzing the reality of the situation. I believe many of us battle between faith and logic which seems to be historically controversial.
