The Modern Lu Xun and Contemporary Chinese Literature

Mao Zedong was the first to establish, in “On New Democracy,” a connection between “modern Lu Xun,” New Culture, and contemporary China. However, it was left-wing critics such as Zhou Yang and Feng Xuefeng who fully integrated Lu Xun into the literary, intellectual, and cultural practices of contemporary China. This article centers on the work of Zhou Yang, Feng Xuefeng, and the writings of other leftist critics, in an attempt to clarify a historical thread for Lu Xun’s significance to contemporary Chinese literature. Rather than focusing on the academic history of Lu Xun studies, the article is interested in how the work of leftist critics shaped pivotal moments in Lu Xun’s engagement with contemporary Chinese literature and intellectual culture. The core question addressed here is how their interpretations of Lu Xun constructed the relationship between Lu Xun and contemporary literature and intellectual thought.