Ah Q Archaeology

Paul B. Foster

doi:10.5771/9780739151846

Summary

Although Lu Xun was a leading intellectual and writer in twentieth century China, and his representative character Ah Q, hero of 'The True Story of Ah Q,' is considered an iconic repository of progressive Chinese thinking about the national character, few works examine the major discourses in his thought and writing relative to broader historical and intellectual currents outside the context of his politicization. Ah Q Archaeology, however, concretely situates Lu Xun's critique of national character vis-a-vis metanarratives of nationalism and modernity through a close examination of his works in their historical context. Paul B. Foster uses a discursive approach to tie together Lu Xun's major theme of national character critique and its fate in China's tumultuous twentieth century. This book is an important and unique contribution to modern Chinese intellectual history and modern Chinese literature.

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Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2006
ISBN-Print: 978-0-7391-1168-0
ISBN-Online: 978-0-7391-5184-6
Publisher: Lexington, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 400
Product type: Book Titles

1. Table of Contents No access
2. Preface No access
1. 1. Trajectory of the Ah Q Discourse No access
2. 2. Lu Xun and the Issue of National Character No access
3. 3. Genealogy of the National Character Discourse in China No access
1. 1. Imagining the National Character No access
2. 2. Images of Nation and Nationalism in China No access
3. 3. Chinese Discourse of Nation, Nationalism, National Essence and National Character No access
4. 4. National Character Discourse in the May Fourth Journals New Youth and New Tide No access
1. 1. Xu Shoushang's Recollections of Lu Xun's Interest in National Character No access
2. 2. Lu Xun's Late Qing Writings: The Lexicon of Nation and National Character No access
1. 1. Lu Xun's Consistent Critique of National Character No access
2. 2. Lu Xun's View of Writers as Spiritual Warriors No access
3. 3. Lu Xun's National Character Research No access
4. 4. National Essence Muddledness and the Cure of Science No access
1. 1. General National Essence Critique in Lu Xun's Works No access
2. 2. Barbarism/Cannibalism No access
3. 3. A Brief Description of "The True Story of Ah Q" No access
4. 4. Ah Q's Method of Spiritual Victory No access
5. 5. Slave Mentality No access
6. 6. Face No access
7. 7. Acting No access
1. 1. History of "True Story" Reception No access
2. 2. Sun Society Declares Ah Q (and Lu Xun) Dead No access
3. 3. 1930s Ah Q Research No access
4. 4. 1940s Ah Q Discourse No access
1. 1. Critical Reception of "True Story" No access
2. 2. Rolland and the French Translation of "True Story" No access
3. 3. Dissemination of Rolland's Praise for "True Story" in Chinese Literary Circles No access
4. 4. Trajectory of Legitimization No access
5. 5. Elevating the National Character No access
6. 6. "International" Legitimization and Amplification of Rolland's Praise No access
7. 7. Quest for a Chinese Nobel Laureate No access
8. 8. Literary Euphoria over Rolland's Comments No access
1. 1. Intellectual and Popular Dimensions of the Ah Q Discourse No access
2. 2. Lan Xin's Miss Modern: The Biography of Miss Ah Q (1950) No access
3. 3. Bi Shui's The Unofficial Biography of Ah Q (1969) No access
4. 4. Ding Yi's The Unofficial Biography of [Ah Q's Son] Ah O (1971) No access
5. 5. Chen Guokai's Modern Ah Q (1988) No access
6. 6. Lin Liming's Sequel to the True Story of Ah Q (1994) No access
7. 7. Sexual Obsession and/or Political Allegory? No access
8. 8. Ah Q-Mao Allegorical Mythologization in Ah Q Progeny No access
9. 9. Performances of Spiritual Victory ad Nauseum No access
10. 10. Legitimization of Progeny Works in the Ah Q Discourse No access
9- Conclusion No access Pages 339 - 348
Glossary No access Pages 349 - 354
Bibliography No access Pages 355 - 390
Index No access Pages 391 - 250
1. 1. Romain Rolland No access
2. 2. A photograph of Romain Rolland printed in a special Roland issue of Mangyuan no.7/8 (1926) No access
3. 3. Table of Contents of the special Rolland issue No access
4. 4. Miss Ah Q Bookcover No access
5. 5. Miss Ah Q Closing Illustrations No access
About the Author No access Pages 400 - 400