| This dissertation examines Lu Xun's (1881-1936) ironic role in the construction of the national character discourse in modern China through his destructive, iconoclastic attack on Chinese spiritual culture and national essence. Seeking to destroy a negative national character, Lu Xun created discursive space for the construction of a new national character. Within the constructs of modernity and nationalism, I situate Lu Xun in the already existing late Qing discourse of national character by demonstrating his continuity with Liang Qichao's national character critique in the New Citizen. Lu Xun's May Fourth essays and stories, particularly his 1922 work, "The True Story of Ah Q," were an elaboration and expansion of the national character discourse. Critical reception formed the Ah Q discourse, a forum in which national character was continued to be interpreted and debated. A few words of praise by French Nobel Laureate Romain Rolland catapulted both author and work to international status in Chinese eyes. This manifestation of "fame through association," an aspect of the national character criticized by Lu Xun, ironically made "True Story" the most highly regarded work of modern Chinese literature despite its viciously negative portrayal of Chinese national character. It was even suggested that Lu Xun might be awarded a Nobel Prize for literature. Ah Q was an instrument of literary politics, being proclaimed dead in the debate over revolutionary literature, but nonetheless, continued to appear on stage, in illustrations, and through critical interpretation. The Ah Q discourse became a forum for legitimation of Marxist literary theory during debates over period, class and literary type. An Ah Q lexicon was built drawing on Lu Xun's terminology and the critical reception of "True Story," including terms such as the method of spiritual victory, Ah Q-ism and Ah Q style. Lu Xun's canonization ensured the longevity of the Ah Q discourse, enabling Ah Q to survive orthodox interpretation as a revolutionary peasant or worker, as "True Story" was interpreted as a representation of semi-feudal, semi-colonized traditional Chinese society. Lu Xun's unyielding negative critique functions to resist the idealization of an ancient past inherent in general theories of nationalism. |
