When I previously read "Kong Yiji," I always criticized Kong Yiji from a modern perspective, saying that he was conservative and a victim of the old society. But later, I listened to the teacher's analysis of the article "Kong Yiji" in class and had a sudden realization. I then flipped through Lu Xun's biography and reread "Kong Yiji," which made me have even greater respect for Lu Xun.
Let's first take a look at Lu Xun's educational journey in his youth:
- In 1892, an 11-year-old Lu Xun attended the private school "Sanwei Book House" in Shaoxing.
- In 1898, due to family changes, Lu Xun entered the tuition-free school, Jiangnan Naval Academy, in Nanjing.
- He graduated in 1902 and was accepted as a government-funded student studying in Japan.
- In 1905, the imperial examination system was abolished.
In Lu Xun's early years, due to family changes, he was unable to afford tuition fees and thus entered a modern school. For future generations, this was fortunate. But for Lu Xun at that time, it was quite unfortunate. The centuries-old imperial examination system in China was deeply rooted in people's hearts. Ten years of studying in the cold, wasn't it all for the sake of passing the imperial examination and achieving fame?
Lu Xun wrote "Kong Yiji" from the perspective of a third party, but imagine if Lu Xun's family had not experienced changes and he had continued his studies, and then wrote "Kong Yiji" from the perspective of a "witness" after the imperial examination system was abolished, what kind of article would it be?
Lu Xun was accustomed to starting with ordinary people and using details to satirize the current situation. In his work, Lu Xun's criticism is not directed at Kong Yiji, but at the entire society at that time. We can find evidence for this in the ending notes of "Kong Yiji."
At that time, the meaning was simply to describe a certain aspect of society or a way of life. Please readers take a look, there is no other deep meaning. But when it was printed and published, it happened to be a time when some people used novels to launch personal attacks... Therefore, I hereby declare this to prevent speculation and harm the character of readers.
Many interpretations of "Kong Yiji" today tend to criticize Kong Yiji along with it, which seems to be a bit excessive. Kong Yiji is a collective epitome of the intellectuals of the old era, who could only move forward in the torrent of history. From the perspective of the society at that time, was Kong Yiji really conservative?
Lu Xun came from an intellectual family, participated in the imperial examination, and had a deeper understanding than ordinary families. Moreover, the reason for Lu Xun's family's decline was precisely because of the imperial examination. His grandfather, Zhou Fuqing, bribed the chief examiner of the provincial examination in an attempt to secure his son's admission, but it was reported.
We can imagine Lu Xun's attitude towards the imperial examination. Looking back at the social conditions at that time, between 1909 and 1936, China was undergoing drastic changes. The clash between old and new cultures was like fire and water, with a large influx of advanced Western knowledge. Lu Xun expressed his indignation during his stay abroad:
Any ignorant and weak citizen, no matter how physically strong and healthy, can only be a material for demonstration and spectators in terms of significance. It is not unfortunate for them to die of illness. Therefore, our first priority is to change their spirits, and the way to change spirits, I thought at that time, was naturally to promote literature and art.
Lu Xun published "Kong Yiji" in "New Youth," the most influential revolutionary magazine in China in the late 1910s. Every article he published on it was not just the superficial meaning expressed in the annotations. There has never been freedom of speech in any era, including the era of the Republic of China. Direct criticism and satire of current politics were not allowed. This is an important reason for the excessive interpretation of Lu Xun's works today, but considering the background of the society at that time, we should focus on the main points of the article.
In "Kong Yiji," Kong Yiji is just a point, and the satire of the current situation is the true essence. Lu Xun once said:
I often draw material from the unfortunate people in a sick society, with the intention of arousing attention to their illness and seeking their salvation.
The details in "Kong Yiji" also reflect many social problems at that time, such as having one's leg broken for stealing books, and the ridicule of Kong Yiji in the tavern. As a prominent figure of that era, Lu Xun's works undoubtedly have profound meaning, and this article has stood the test of time.
When I read "Kong Yiji" in my youth, a feeling of pity naturally arose. Under the guidance of my high school teacher, I sympathized with Kong Yiji's misfortune and was angry at his lack of resistance. But now, I can only sigh and reflect on the enormous impact of the era's changes on a generation of people.