The May Fourth Movement and Intellectual Predicament Historical context: -- The revolution of 1911: -- “The Treaty of Versailles” and students’ protest (1919): Critical positions of New Youth 《新青年》 (1915) : -- To replace Confucian classics with a new literature: -- To denounce the didactic concept of “literature conveys the Way” 文以載道 :  The Way is more important than the vehicle“literature”no matter whether it stands for Confucian propriety or iconoclasm --The irony:

“Preface to the First Collection of Short Stories Call to Arms” 《吶喊》自序 (1923) Dream: -- “[O]n my return to China I would cure patients like my father.... At the same time strengthening my countrymen’s faith in reformation” (C. P. 176/2). Change of heart: -- “I felt that medical science was not so important after all.... The most important thing, therefore, was to change their spirit.... I felt that literature was the best means to this end. I determined to promote a literary movement” (ibid., 3).

The problem: -- “[T]he real tragedy for him was to lift up his voice among the living and meet with no response, neither approval nor opposition....” (ibid. 3). -- “Imagine an iron house without windows, absolutely indestructible, with many people fast asleep inside who will soon die of suffocation. Do you think you are doing” (ibid., 5). Hope: -- “I could not blot out hope, for hope lies in the future” (ibid., 5).

“A Madman’s Diary” 狂人日記 (1918) The madman has recovered and gone to take up an official post (C. P. 178/7): He had suffered persecution complex (ibid., 7): What was written over each page of his history? -- “Virtue and Morality” (ibid., 10): What did the madman see between the lines? -- “Eat people” (ibid., 10). -- What does it mean?  The iconoclastic perspective of the mainstream thought:

“A Madman’s Diary” (continued) What does he know? “I have invited Mr. Ho here today,” said my brother, “to examine you.” “All right,” said I. Actually I knew quite well that this old man was the executioner in disguise” (ibid., 11)! -- Does he really know who Mr. Ho is? -- Does he think he knew? -- What is his assumption? “All these people wanting to eat human flesh....” (ibid., 11). “The eater of human flesh is my elder brother” (ibid., 12)!

“A Madman’s Diary” (continued) Attempt to persuade: “You must know that in future there will be no place for man-eaters in the world” (ibid., 17). Self-doubt: “It is possible that I ate several pieces of my sister’s flesh unwittingly, now it is my turn....” (ibid., 18). Conclusion: “Save the children....” (ibid., 18).

“An incident” 一件小事 (1920) Where is the protagonist from? (C. P. 184/42) How does he describe himself at the beginning? What is it that he cannot forget? What was his assumption when the old woman fell? What surprised him? Who exerts a “pressure” on him? What does his handful of coppers mean? What has he learned from the incident?

“When I was in Xia Village” Ding Ling ( ): Who is the protagonist in this story? What is her opinion of her work? Does she want others’ sympathy? What is her view to live among strangers? D you think that she “will be able to start life fresh? What do you think of this story in comparison to the previous works?