LOVE, COHABITATION, AND FREEDOM IN MODERN SOCIETY: A READING OF LU XUN’S REGRET FOR THE PAST
Main Article Content
Abstract
Lu Xun’s Regret for the Past, on its surface level, appears to be a romance of two young Chinese intellectuals in the 1920s. This article argues, however, that the story offers a counter-proposition regarding love, cohabitation, and freedom in post-May Fourth China. By employing textual analysis combined with social and gender perspectives, the article examines two characters, Zijun and Juansheng, uncovering systemic forces behind their actions, such as patriarchy, urban economic pressures, and illusions of freedom. The analysis reveals that their disillusionment and alienation stem from the inevitable logic of modern Chinese conditions. The article also demonstrates that Regret for the Past shares in Lu Xun’s broader critique of social realities. Finally, it concludes by proposing a way to read how socio-economic power structures and narrative ethics operate within narrative texts.
Keywords
Lu Xun, narrative ethics, Post-May Fourth China, Regret for the Past
Article Details
References
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