In Diary of a Madman, Lu Xun uses the main character as a symbol of courage that challenges the traditional secular society of the corrupt Chinese government. Similarly, in Kafka’s The Judgement, Georg’s unique relationship with his father represents oppression and the ultimate price one will pay if they cannot release the pressure of that oppression. In both stories the main character is unstable and has a warped perception of reality. The Madman in Lu Xun’s story becomes consumed with fear of being cannibalized by the town he has been living amongst for years and is forced to fight them with courage and resilience. When analyzing both of these texts one can conclude a successful approach at confronting oppression. In The Judgement, Georg bends under the pressure ultimately committing suicide while the madman refuses to conform to society establishing his label as the madman.
Lu Xun conveys the panic of the madman during his first realization that the children and other cannibals viewed him as meat wanted to eat him. At first the madman was demoralized by the encounter and contemplated giving in to the flesh thirsty children in essence submitting to the oppression. It takes several diary entries until the madman recognizes his only chance for survival is to challenge the oppression with courage and disobedience.
Each time the madman is confronted by a cannibal he relies on his courage to fight the temptation of conforming to the societal expectation of eating human flesh. He realizes, “the more courage I had the more that made them want to eat me so that they can get a little of it for free” (247). Every time the madman displays courage and opposes authority it intensifies the pressure on himself increasing his status as outcast until he reaches the point that his isolation has condemned to death.
Conversely Georg Bendemann fails to stand up to the oppression he faces and conforms in every scenario that confronts him. First he gives into his fiancé and is compelled to inform his friend about his upcoming engagement regardless of his apprehensions about writing to his friend of his commitment. Secondly he continues to submit to the will of father up until the point he feels inadequate and has no other choice then to end his own life.
The limited success the madman exhibited in fighting oppression and conforming to cannibalism allows us a better understanding of the corrupt Chinese government Lu Xun was portraying during that era. The madman understands he must fight oppression with courage or he will be forced to break and bow to the ideals of society.
Daniel Rawson
Nice response. I think you make a nice case in putting these two pieces into conversation with one another. I do wonder if “oppression” is the right word here . . . while that is definitely part of both stories, in that the societal norms these characters confront do in the end act as oppressing forces, there is some baggage that comes along with that term. The expectations of society suppresses the individual and the possibility of his own authentic expression: both Georg and the Madman are prime examples of this. Georg must ignore The Friend, he writes only of trivial matters, and his family life is cold; in the end of Lu Xun’s piece we see the silencing of the Madman by society that takes the form of the cold, ancient, classical Chinese language in the framing of the story. The Madman’s own individual voice is no longer to be found. So yes, there is definitely an element of oppression, but I wonder if we could speak about this in a different, more nuanced way. Great work! 5/5