Probing Into The Animal Imiges In Lu Xun's Works

In Mr. Lu Xun's works, people were portrayed through the descriptions of animals, which evidently conveyed a sense of metaphor and symbolization. Generally speaking, the origin consists of two parts:one is the inherent rich traditional culture in China; the other is foreign culture with heavy modern characteristics.In The Collected Works of Lu Xun roughly 200 kinds of fowls and beasts are mentioned, a vast majority of which not merely exist as image codes but more as literary images. They compose a pretty, cozy, or dark, ghastly world. These images bear not simply the author's personal emotions, but more a compromise of the individual and history, which is a heavy anchorage of a thoughtful, conscientious writer in so gloomy a background, uplifting, depressing, relaxing, oppressive, or…As for human beings, animals are not only necessities of daily production and life but also indispensible spiritual food that can satisfy people's souls. They are animals, as well as deities, yet a unity of animal nature and divinity is perfectly realized in their existing in different forms. Such unity may be one of the earliest memories to explain the origin of literature and art. Such relationship directly affects the animal relation in literature and art. From totem adoration to myths and legends, long life traces have been left by animals on the lives of human beings. Animal relations in literature is also constantly manifesting that from Achaean age, ancient people were continuously considering how to get along with the animals in the nature in harmony, which is certainly worth thinking and learning for modern people.Lu Xun's individualism is combined with humanitarianism. Lu Xun's individualism is first shown in his revenge consciousness of being clear about what to love or hate. Such revenge consciousness also coexists in animal images and is often more vivid in the expression of the "hard bone" spirit of the revenge consciousness embodied in the animal images. Being by nature clear about what to love or hate is also a prominent manifestation of such humane spiritual concern. With such a personality, many animal images under his pen are seen from a negative point of view and are criticized by means of metonymy and so on. The shaping of the animal images under Lu Xun's pen is also loaded with a strong factor of the time concerned. Animals not only become an indispensible dimension of the series that is made up of complex humane implications and literary images, but also a vital means and way to trace back national spirit, reflect on the contemporary humane spiritual state, and reconstruct the current cultural structure.Chinese traditional culture respects "kindness" and advocate "golden mean" and "harmony", for millions of years forming a deep-rooted bad national habit of being afraid of facing shortcomings and being conservative and complacent. In the age of the self-conscious May 4th culture, Lu Xun's calm symbolic fighting poetry was conceived, which expressed his own firm determination to fight against and inflexible criticism towards the old culture and ego.It is said that throughout his life Lu Xun's thinking is mainly developed from two aspects:one is concerned with group existence; the other is regarding the existence of the "lonely individual" With the above-mentioned two thinking directions, two Lu Xuns are found. The two Lu Xuns can be found in one body, but they are constantly contradicting, with the two directions overlapping yet never completely integrating. The former focuses on an urgent social problem, and Lu Xun devoted most energy of his life to it, which amply shows the elegance of a great "national hero" and "social fighter"; the latter is especially rich in modern philosophical implication. Similarly, the profound appeal and serine aroma of Lu Xun's animal images also bear the implication of these two aspects. They arouse the self-consciousness of our humanity and awake our souls as well. The charm of Lu Xun's animal fictions also lies here.