Lu Xun and Walt Whitman: spokesmen of the people - Essay Example

? Lu Xun and Walt Whitman: spokesmen of the people Introduction Literature of any nation reflects its culture, ethos and political struggles. Most ofthe literary figures show consciousness of the socio-political changes taking place in their society and depict them in their creative output. Sometimes they act as vanguard of these movements and political strains, and provide intellectual and ideological support to these socio-political changes. Whitman in America and Lu Xun in China acted as harbingers of modern literature of their respective cultures and also became the mouth-piece of socio-political ideology of their country. But their nationalism is not ethnocentric rather it is homocentric and they explored those aspects of their cultures which reflect their humanity. Such practice brought these men of letters closer to the people. Both the writers were the “ people’s writer” and had keen interest in the pains and pleasures of their fellow beings. Both remained in front and became icons of their nationalism and humanism. Both Whitman and Lu were venerated as national assets of their country and were revered as national poets or intellectuals. National heroes Gloria Davies in the initial section of her books remarks: “Every country has its founding heroes whose contributions, in word or deed , are regularly commemorated and celebrated as part of the nation’s origin story. In People’s Republic of China , Lu Xun is the Pre-eminent man of letter in that story , revered not only as nation builder but also , and perhaps most importantly, as the voice of nations conscience” (“ Lu Xun’s Revolution” 1). Lu Xun’s name is famous in connection with modernism in Chinese literature. “ Since Confucius was the sage of feudal China, Lu Xun should be regarded as the sage of modern China(qtd. in Davies, “ Lu Xun’s Revolution” 7). He was revered across the political spectrum of China’s intellectual world and in death was given the supreme accolade “ the soul of the nation” (minzu hun) : the phrase was reverently emblazoned on the white flag that draped his coffin.”( 9). He was the exponent of change and supported radical changes in society and literature of China. Born in a family which was impoverished and lost the breadwinner quite early, Lu’s life was supposed to be a constant struggle. But under the affection of his literate mother, Lu Xun showed considerable passion for learning and attended some good schools which shaped the intellectual substance of young man’s mind who at an early age became involved in activities that promoted social change. Lu at an early change developed a keen passion for revolution and joined different revolutionary parties like Guang Fu Hui and was among those who were successful in toppling down Qing Dynasty in China. But the disillusionment with the revolution was realized by Lu Xun quite soon, when he saw his country again under the repression of colonial forces. Whitman and Modernism in Chinese literature Walt Whitman enjoyed the same status in his country as was bestowed upon Lu Xung. Huang in his book tries to trace the influence of Whitman on Chinese literature. He went to the extent of comparing Whitman and Shakespeare regarding their impact on Chinese literature. Huang declares that Shakespeare who was brought into Chinese culture through missionaries was considered a product of west for Chinese culture while Whitman’s entry and acceptance in Chinese culture was more voluntary than imposed. Whitman’s work in a way worked as a catalyst to bring about modernism in China. “The cultural and literary exchange between China and America that place in the first decade of twentieth century was indeed vital to the birth of modernism in both countries”(qtd. in Huang 190). Democratic spirit in Whitman and Lu Xun Liz Carter while writing about removal of some specific texts of Lu from Chinese books remarks that “Lu Xun’s works are classics, and represent the ‘spirit of the Chinese people” ( par. 2). She observes that Lu was the critic of all social movements and institutions and spared no one when he found fault with any institution or person. Whitman also is renowned for the democratic spirit in his poetry. His famous poem “ Song of Myself” celebrates the equality of people in America. His vision of America portrays his country as a place where everybody will have equal importance; even lunatics will have some place in this democratic utopia. He speaks about all professions, classes and groups of America in his song. All facets of American culture and society are dear to him. Lu Xun as representative of Chinese literature and Culture Gloria Davies in her interview declares that Lu Xun was true representative of Chinese cultural ethos and it was through his works that the west came to know about true china. “In getting to know Ah Q, those Western readers for whom China is most alien will discover a valuable fact that remains obdurately hidden from both the Yellow Peril theorists and from the apostles of Red China: this fact is that the Chinese too are human, or to put it another way, we are all Chinese” ( Simon Leys qtd. in Davies“All I See Around Me” par.5) Walt Whitman as an American Poet Walt Whitman in the later part of 19th Century became a representative voice of America and he in his poems like “ song of myself” took the task of representing the cultural and social aspirations of his country. He suggested a criterion for the poets in order to be qualified for the title of “ American Poet”. “According to Whitman the American poet should always be on the same level with his people and his spirit [should always} respond to this country’s spirit , in order to reflect upon everything that is of importance in his homeland and to his fellow”( Longolius 6). The writer further states that Whitman’s nationalism is not based on ethnicity rather the poet in Whitman concentrates on those subjects which “ should arise from the soul of his own people which is like his own soul”(6). Humanism in Lu’s works Lu himself regards his work as a discourse that is beyond the limits of geographical boundaries. He takes it as a broader communication which shares human experience between the reader and the writer. “He saw literature less as a craft than as an act of communion, or intimacy, between reader and writer: a means of commemorating and sharing human experience. He also drew attention to how the written text mediates between the living and the dead” ( qtd. in Gloria Davies, “All I See Around Me” par. ). Gloria Davies alludes to the inherent humanism in Lu Xun’s revolutionary ideas. She observes: Lu Xun, however saw his ambivalence as inherently human. In the same December 127 lecture, he presented the will to revolution as an act of conscious altruism, describing it as the humanism inherent in overcoming selfish interest to yearn for “ an Ideal world”. He stated that such yearning was typically expressed in literature as sympathy for the poor “( “ Lu Xun’s Revolution” 189). A pervasive humanism is also found Whitman’s poetry who in his poem “ Song of Myself “ sings in praise of man in general. He like Lu loved to see greatness in common men and loved to share their pains and pleasures. Conclusion In the above written paragraphs, a comparative analysis of Whitman and Chinese novelist Lu Xun was made who were regarded and respected as national figures of their respective countries. Both introduced modern trends in their local literatures and also wrote about those features of human existence that are shared by everybody. A pervasive discourse favoring common people was the hallmark of both the writers. Whitman became the voice of America by depicting its new achieved democratic ethos and spirits of liberty and freedom. On the other hand, Lu became the chronicler of the revolutionary movements of Chinese people. Lu, being a realist, did not hide anything that was ugly rather he became a spokesmen of Chinese people who were trying to bring about change in their lives and were trying to free themselves from the shackles of oppressive regimes. Works Cited Carter, Liz. "Chinese Literature Textbooks Modified to Curb ‘Deep Thinking’." Tea Leaf Nation. The Leaf Nation, 4 Sept. 2013. Web. 07 Dec. 2013. . Davies, Gloria. "All I See Around Me Is the Same Old Darkness: Gloria Davies on Lu Xun." Interview by Jeffrey Wasserstrom. Los AngelesReview of Books. Los Angeles Review of Books, 04 Nov. 2013. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. . Davies, Gloria. Lu Xun's Revolution: Writing in a Time of Violence. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2013. Print . Huang, Guiyou. Whitmanism, Imagism, and Modernism in China and America. Selinsgrove .Susquehanna University Press, 1997. Print. Longolius, Sonja. Walt Whitman - The Democratic Poet and His Prose on Democracy – A Comparison of Whitman’s Concept of the Poet’s Rolein Develping a National Identity in “ Preface 1855- Leaves of Grass” and “ From DemocraticVistas”1871. Norderstedt: Grin Verlag, 2004. Print. Read More