The First Cry of Call to Arms and Related Topics: From Nostalgia to Diary of a Madman

Abstract

Abstract: There has been little discussion in the academic world as to why the first cry of Call to Arms is Diary of a Madman. To address this question, we must delve in to Lu Xun's emotional-spiritual framework and thought-generating process, which he honed as a witness to and participant in the enlightenment and revolution of the late Qing dynasty. Additionally, we need to examine Lu Xun's understanding of the social structure of the late Qing and early Republican periods, as well as his methods of textual development. Written in 1911, Nostalgia already presented Lu Xun's unique perspectives on social structure quite comprehensively, while Diary of a Madman, traditionally regarded as an enlightenment text, contained multiple internal structures that have yet to be fully explored. Lu Xun employed the distinctive format of the madman's diary to condense these multiple internal structures into the most concise literary form, thereby exploring new directions, content and forms for enlightenment and revolution.

Key words: Lu Xun, Diary of a Madman, Nostalgia, social structure, emotional-spiritual structure

Li Chen, Guo Chunlin. The First Cry of Call to Arms and Related Topics: From Nostalgia to Diary of a Madman
[J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2023, 43(6): 71-81.

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