As China’s most influential scholars, the reconciliation of both views is essential in understanding nineteenth and twentieth century China. As the father of modern literature, Lu Xun’s detailing of the everyday Chinese experience expresses the views of the average population during the era. One of China’s most prolific writers, Lu Xun’s satirical depiction of China in his short novella, The True Story of Ah Q, provides insight into Lu’s views on nationalism, revolution, and democracy in China. The protagonist, Ah Q, appears to hold a very symbolic name, specifically when focusing on the “Q,” as the most marked physical feature of the Chinese during the time was the queue required by the Manchu dynasty. In this way, the “true story” is representative of all of China.
Lu’s work spoke of the country’s national character as one of pridefulness and a sort of cowardliness, as becomes evident in his depiction of the main character, Ah Q, “[in] less than ten seconds, however, Ah Q would walk away also satisfied that he had won, thinking that he was the ‘foremost self-belittler,’ and after subtracting ‘self-belittler’ what remained was ‘foremost’” (Lu Xun, Chapter 2). The spiritual victories, or otherwise, self-deceptions of the character reflect the idea of China’s spiritual superiority above its oppressors, despite succumbing the the subjugations and exploitations of the Eight Nation Alliance. The sentiment expressed in the passage most closely parallels the expressions of Chen