TÌNH YÊU, CHUNG SỐNG VÀ TỰ DO TRONG XÃ HỘI HIỆN ĐẠI: ĐỌC TIẾC THƯƠNG NHỮNG NGÀY ĐÃ MẤT CỦA LỖ TẤN

Abstract

Lu Xun’s Regret for the Past is often read merely as 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 the characters Zijun and Juansheng, uncovering structural 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 contemporary 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-economical power structures and ethics of narration operate within narrative texts.