De-Familiarization and Binary Oppostion in Lu Xun's a Madman's Diary

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It is very ironic to see that among both opposing sides it is the flesh-eating people (the sane majority), who are questioning their own practices. Although they are comfortable “eating” others, they are also skeptical of getting eaten. This passage conveys a strong message to the reader signaling that there must be something wrong when people who have similar perspectives are afraid of each other. Furthermore when further analyzing Lu Xun’s perspective it is important to realize why the flesh eaters (sane majority) continue to act the way they do. Lu Xun hints that this may be a generational issue when the protagonist states, “Some of them thought that since it had always ben so, men should be eaten. Others knew they shouldn’t eat men but still wanted to, and were afraid people might discover their secret” (Lu Xun, 15). Through this binary opposition between the flesh eaters and the non-flesh eaters he evokes the political climate that China was experiencing at the time, where the non-flesh eaters represent the revolutionaries yearning for change, and the flesh-eaters are the antagonists that are skeptical among themselves and unknowingly preserve the status-quo.

While Lu Xun uses binary opposition to highlight the difference between the sane and insane, he uses de-familiarization to relate cannibalism to oppressive Feudalism. This is most evident when the protagonist tells the flesh eaters, “If you don’t change, you may all be eaten by each other. However many of you there are, you will be wiped out by the real men, just as wolves are killed by hunters—just like reptiles” (Lu Xun, 15). In this quote the reader can observe how the concept of cannibalism is being invoked in relation to Feudalism. Here Lu Xun wants to emphasize that the act of eating other people is symbolic of feudalism in the sense that people will eventually begin to “eat” or attack each other. The very nature of Feudalism is oppressive as landowners want to “eat” or take advantage of others for personal benefit. Through this passage Lu Xun may be emphasizing the rise of the Warlords in China during the mid-1910’s and how they fought each other for their own personal gain. The Warlords essentially became wealthy at the expense of the people’s suffering. When using this analytical perspective the reader can see that Lu Xun’s use of cannibalism is very much appropriate.

Furthermore, although cannibalism may seem like an abstract term when talking about Feudalism, backwardness and savagery that took place during China’s Feudalistic state at the turn of the 20th is parallel to the act of cannibalism. Lu Xun further delves into this description when the protagonist narrates, “Some of them seemed to be masked other were the old lot, long-toothed with livid faces, concealing their laughter. I knew they were one gang, all eaters of human flesh” (Lu Xun, 15). Through this passage, Lu Xun de-familiarizes cannibalism even further as he portrays a vivid scene in which a group of flesh eaters looked ferociously at the protagonist almost as they were going to eat him. It is important to note that among this group of flesh eaters some of them are “masked” and others are concealing their “laughter” (Lu Xun, 15). These minute details influence the de-familiarization of cannibalism as it is implied that some people may not necessarily agree with it. When first describing cannibalism is was implied that everyone who was a flesh-eater fully accepted it and thus accepted Feudalism. However, this scene points out the fact that some people among the masses may in fact not like the idea of Feudalism, but cannot do anything to change the status-quo. In the end, Lu Xun’s general goal in relating de-familiarization to cannibalization was to point out that even though the general mass may agree with it, there are also many people who disguise themselves as cannibalistic in order to prevent being an outsider.

Overall both the theories of binary opposition and de-familiarization are effective in presenting Lu Xun’s message. By using binary opposition Lu Xun creates a platform where he can freely criticize the government through an “insane” character and freely denounce their oppressive actions. He does this by defining two different sides labeling the protagonist as “insane” while the majority is portrayed as “sane”. This usage of literary theory essentially allows the reader to observe the divide between both sides and analyze what each side believes in. However, this binary opposition fails to address the cause of the problem. The binary opposition seems to only relate to the people, and not the oppressors who are interested in maintaining the status-quo. On the other hand, the usage of de-familiarization is crucial in allowing the reader to interpret the metaphor of cannibalism as it relates to oppressive Feudalism. From description of how the “cannibals” eat other people, to the vivid scene in which they are pictured as a pack of wolves waiting to eat their prey, Lu Xun effectively describes the manner in which the affluent landowners oppressed the lower class peasant workers. The de-familiarization of cannibalism in this short story however has one shortcoming. The de-familiarization seems to encompass all of the flesh eaters as evil, and only briefly mentions those who are in-disguise and quietly oppose Feudalism. It may be that Lu Xun wanted to be able to deliver his revolutionary message while indirectly criticizing those in power. In any case, Lu Xun superbly conveys his message of calling people to arms and fight for change. In doing this he acknowledges that although the majority will try to dismiss the oppressed, it is always worth to fight for a worthy cause.

Works Cited:

- Lu, Xun. "A Madman's Diary." The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Literature. By Joseph S. M. Lau and Howard Goldblatt. New York: Columbia UP, 2007. 8-16. Print.

- Xiaoming, Wang. "Lu Xun." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2016.