| IntroductionIn this dissertation,what (and which absorbs me mostly) I want to discuss is that how Lu Xun,as a modern intellectual,struggles to live with fortitude and never gives up his earnest love to his people and nation,and in which way he did construct his belief and the meaning of life itself. As for me,to understand Lu Xun also means to understand Chinese culture,because Lu Xun is the most outstanding representative of the 20 " century's Chinese culture. Actually,it is an unforgettable experience for me of three years' reading and understanding on Lu Xun,by which I begin to understand myself and grasp the meaning of my life.I see Lu Xun's spiritual world as a world of loneliness,though he seldom confesses his emotion directly. In Lu Xun's stories,I can exactly feel his sorrow for the characters,which were sleeping inside an iron house,which,as Lu Xun believes,is indestructible. He devotes his deepest love to his people but only gets endless silence in return. His crying,fury as well as hopeless,sounds like a wounded -wolf howling in the wilderness. In this regard,we can see his stories as a recollection of the lives of those struggling in darkness and as a record of his wounded soul,which represents the efforts of seeking a way of national rejuvenation and an integrated self. I therefore regard Lu Xun's stories as "the recollections in darkness" which are deeply tinged with loneliness.All along his life,Lu Xun never gave up his fight against hypocrisy,philistinism and above all the behavior of slavery,from which we can recognize his expectation of real men,the independent personality and awakening self. I argue that all his anguishes arise from this expectation. Although Lu Xun is entangled with bewilderment,distress and despair,he never stops transcending himself and pursuing the meaning and value of life. His fight against inmost despair and nihility shows the unyielding will and strength of life.The key problems Lu Xun thinks deeply in Call to Arms and Wandering anguished him all through his life. The abundant implication of them is to some extent a reflection of Lu Xun's inner spiritual life,hence,we can say,Call to Arms and Wandering represent Lu Xun's spirit. The call is not only the call to the Chinese ethos soundly asleep,but also the voice of a repressed nation as well as LunXun's own repressed self. Wandering is a symbol of Lu Xun's inner ambivalence and agony. These two modes of affection,in my opinion,are Lu Xun's "symbolic poetry of soul".I. The Recollections of Darkness:Lu Xun's StoriesDarkness is a key word by which we can get access to Lu Xun's works and his inmost feelings as well. Darkness is a symbol,which represents both the outside world,namely,the social reality in China,and his own mentality. I believe it is convincing to define Lu Xun's stories as the recollections of darkness,by which we can more sharply grasp the dual authenticity and the poetic nature of his stories,and reveal the relations between his works and mind.1. Atmosphere:backgrounds,colors and soundsWhat absorbs me in Lu Xun's stories is the particular atmosphere,which comes from both the tragic implication and subjective lyricism in his works. In Call to Arms and Wandering,the descriptions of surroundings,which is commonly the structural element of fictions,are given less attentions compared to the eminent position that the psychology of the characters occupy. As for Lu Xun,describing surroundings is radically aimed at showing the local characteristics,which are closely connected with the local cultural life. Meanwhile he portrays his characters,endows them with particular blood and soul,the related cultural background and mental atmosphere are also exposed. That's why his works impressed us so intensively though he never emphasises on describing background.The descriptions of background in Lu Xun's works can be roughly divided into two types:one is of cold color,the other is much bright. Generally speaking,the backgrounds not only serves as a feature of setting off and contrast but also str... |
