Dissecting Ah Q And Monk: A Comparative Study Between The True Story Of Ah Q And A Stretch Of The Imagination

Lu Xun, as the father of modern Chinese literature, reaches the peak of his literary career with the publication of The True Story of Ah Q. It is probably commonplace to view Ah Q as one stereotype of the Chinese people in that age. However, the universal human nature manifested in Ah Q can also be found in other literary figures both domestic and foreign, one of which is Monk, the protagonist in A Stretch of the Imagination created by Jack Hibberd, in Australia. As one of the most outstanding representatives of the Australian New Wave Drama, Jack Hibberd ranks among the best playwrights in Australia, and his monodrama A Stretch of the Imagination is acclaimed, a famous Australian critic, as "the first genuine dramatic classic Australia has produced".By dissecting Ah Q and Monk, the author of the thesis discovers their similarities. They are both misogynic, tend to compulsively compete with others, indulge in spiritual victory and unconsciously have fear of death. Jungian theory of collective unconscious is utilized to analyze these similarities from the perspectives of four archetypes: persona, shadow, anima and the self.. The thesis is composed of the following parts:The introduction part makes a general review of the two writers and their works. Chapter two displays the similarities of the two protagonists' character in four aspects. The third chapter further analyzes the formation of their character from the standpoint of Jungian theory of collective unconscious, which justifies the similarities between the two protagonists from different countries with discrepant cultural backgrounds. Therefore the hypothesis that Monk is Ah Q's Australian brother finds its proof. The conclusion will recapitulate the finding of the study.