The Diary of a Madman by Lu Xun is a story in which a nameless man seems to give off the impression that he is a madman by saying that the villagers, including his older brother, will eat him. Xun writes this story to challenge the morals that are instilled in China. The nameless man is exploring society after being a pariah for three decades. Due to not being a part of society, he was able to view his surroundings in a new light, making him a “new man” (Pg. 244). As he explores his surroundings, he comes to realize that the villagers’ behaviors are unusual. Xun incorporates the extreme tradition of cannibalism to portray how unbalanced the hierarchy is and how unethical the traditions are in the Chinese society. Lu Xun conveys a message that correlates with Franz Khafka’s The Judgment, he questions the social norms in Europe –which is how people are perceived based on the actions they make.

The nameless man view the cannibals, who are portrayed as the elite, as unethical people. People would comply with the traditions, fearing that they too would be “eaten” if they decided to disobey (Pg. 250). “Some thought ‘it’s always been like this’…others knew they shouldn’t but went right on doing it anyway…( Pg. 252)”. Even though the people are following the traditions, they’re mentalities are not the same. The author expresses that the ideals and values have always been the same and encourages the people to improve the ideals right away (Pg. 252)”. He argues that regardless of whether or not society wants to make change, “real humans being’s are going to come and eradicate the lot of you… (Pg. 252)”. In other words, those who are rational and ethical will improve China’s traditions.

Franz Khafka’s The Judgment, portrays a similar situation to Lu Xun’s The Diary of a Madman. Georg is considered to be a successful man who always followed the orders of his father, never having any freedom. He is forced to either abide the traditions like getting married or to continue to write to his “friend”. The “friend” is to be the representation of his reflection that describes the opposite of what Georg is considered to everyone. Georg’s “friend” disturbs the norms in his family, causing the dissatisfaction of his father. His father condemns him to drown. Due to the lack of independence, he chooses neither and drowns himself. The nameless man and Georg do not believe in the traditional norms of their society. Therefore, they are look down upon for not complying with the status quo.