Lu Xun wrote to inspire change during a very difficult time inChina’s history. “A Madman’s Diary†is full of thematic elementsand symbolism that would speak directly to the people affected bythe Chinese Revolution of 1911, but what can we learn from thispiece? What does Lu Xun have to say to us in our society,today?
Take some time to consider the “madman†in the story and hisdefinition of “cannibalism.†Then, analyze these themes in relationto our American society. What types of “insanity†do we considernormal? Are there any types of metaphoric “cannibalism†here in ourculture that should be addressed? What should we be “fightingâ€against? Â
