This paper examines Lu Xun's celebrated novella "The True Story of Ah Q" as a vehicle for social and national critique in early twentieth-century China. It traces the biographical and historical context that shaped Lu Xun's literary vision, including the decline of the Qing Dynasty, imperialist pressures, and the May Fourth Movement. The analysis focuses on the character of Ah Q as a symbol of Chinese national failings — particularly the tendency toward "moral victories," self-deception, and theatrical self-dramatization. The paper also explores the role of the narrator and situates the work within a broader tradition of Chinese social fiction, arguing that Ah Q transcends class to become a universal symbol of national weakness.
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The True Story of Ah Q is one of the most widely read works of Chinese literature and stands as a masterpiece in both narrative craft and characterization. Its author, Lu Xun (also romanized as Lu Hsun), was born in 1881. Growing up in significantly troubled times, he was deeply influenced by the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal sentiment prevalent in his youth and sought to use literature as his engine for change. China in the late nineteenth century was under the influence of foreign powers that were rapidly undermining local feudal authority, as the Qing Dynasty had become corrupt and ineffective. The Chinese population suffered greatly — especially the working class — as imperialist aggression gained strength and the Qing Dynasty refused to take meaningful action against it, instead yielding further to foreign forces in order to prolong its already dying rule.
Lu Xun's youth thus coincided with a period of intense internal conflict, as China faced imminent danger of losing its sovereignty to imperialist powers. He could not remain unmoved by what he witnessed and took time to reflect on the ultimate fate of his country, his people, and his loved ones. During a four-year stay in Nanking, Lu Xun became actively involved in political uprisings; his visit coincided with the Reform Movement of 1898 and the invasion of Peking by imperialist forces in 1900. These events convinced him of the need for revolution against both imperialism and the Qing Dynasty. He believed in the establishment of an independent, democratically chosen government and was firmly opposed to the feudalist rule that had long plagued China.
Around 1906–1907, Lu Xun turned to literary pursuits, writing several essays and producing translations of important Russian works. Literature became his vital tool for change, and he felt he could guide his people in the right direction with his pen. His literary career took off in earnest in 1918 following the October Revolution of 1917 and ran alongside the May Fourth Movement of 1919. His desire for change and revolution led ultimately to the immortal work The True Story of Ah Q, which established his position as a pioneer of the new literature movement in China.
Such was the background against which The True Story of Ah Q (hereafter TSAQ) was written. The author confessed on several occasions that this work was meant to illuminate the national soul of China. He wanted to portray China and its leaders as he saw them, and TSAQ served as a mirror of the national character. In his preface to the Russian translation of TSAQ, Lu Xun explained his purpose: "I tried my best to paint the soul of our countrymen in modern times, but I am not so certain whether my endeavor has been successful or not." (Hsun 7: 77)
Ah Q, the story's leading character, represents the ruling class of China in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This disenfranchised individual is completely incapable of being a true leader in any meaningful sense of the term. His failings reflected the national character of the era, since not only the ruling class but most people had become ineffective and lethargic. Rather than achieving genuine victories, they relied on so-called "moral victories" to appease their conscience. Because the Chinese ruling classes lacked real strength to confront imperialist forces, they contented themselves with accumulating moral victories that proved entirely useless in the long run. This servile, ineffective, and cowardly approach to governing had been highlighted earlier by other Chinese writers, including Li Pao-chia in Modern Times and Tseng P'u in A Flower in an Ocean of Sin. What made Lu Xun's treatment unique was the way he extended this tendency across other social classes and contexts.
Rather than simply "revealing the tendency of the ruling classes and the intelligentsia to gain 'moral victories,'" Lu Xun "discovers a similar trait even among uneducated people, among whom traditions of slavery had been fostered from generation to generation" (Pozdneeva: 148). This added greater depth and breadth to the character of Ah Q — breadth that could highlight the negative traits of the entire nation, not just the ruling class. Ah Q thus became a national symbol, as Li Tuo explains: "The word 'Ah Q' never used to exist in the Chinese language. It was the pure invention of Lu Xun. However, once the idea escaped from under the pen of its creator, it took on a life of its own and traveled among hundreds of thousands of people whose repeated evocations and citations helped generate further topics and discourses." (Tuo: 5)
That the main objective was to expose the negative traits of the Chinese soul and national character was repeatedly reinforced, mostly by the author himself. On one occasion, in his essay "Zaitan baoliu," Lu Xun used the third-person voice to sum up his objective for writing the story and the impact it had since had on readers: "Twelve years ago, Lu Xun wrote a story called 'The True Story of Ah Q' with the intention of exposing the weakness of his fellow citizens, although he did not specify whether he himself was included therein or not. This year, a number of individuals have come out to identify themselves as 'Ah Q.' That must have been part of the unfortunate karma of the modern age." (Hsun 5: 114)
The concept that emerged from this story — commonly known as Ah Q-ism — describes a pattern of psychological self-delusion in which defeat is rationalized as a form of moral superiority. This tendency is illustrated most vividly in the scene where Ah Q is asked to draw a circle on paper that may well be his own death warrant. Ah Q is not concerned with what the document states; instead, he is pathetically embarrassed by his inability to draw a perfectly round circle. His rationalization of this humiliation is both poignant and darkly comic: "in this world it was the fate of everybody at some time to be dragged in and out of prison, and to have to draw circles on paper; it was only because his circle had not been round that he felt there was a stain on his reputation. Presently, however, he regained composure by thinking, 'Only idiots can make perfect circles.' And with this thought he fell asleep." (p. 111)
"Dramatic self-performance embedded in Ah Q's behavior"
"Fictional narrator controls tone and reader sympathy"
Smith, Arthur H. Chinese Characteristics. New York: Revell, 1894.
Li Tuo. "Xuebeng hechu?" (Where does the avalanche fall?). Preface to Yu Hua, Shiba sui chumen yuanxing (Leaving Home at the Age of Eighteen). Taipei: Yuanliu, 1990.
Lu Xun. "Zaitan baoliu" (My Further Reservation). Complete Works of Lu Xun 5: 114; "wen ben 'Ah Q zhengzhuan' xu ji zhuzhe zixu zhuanlue." Complete Works of Lu Xun 7: 77.
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