Social Critique of Chinese Society Through the Character “Kong Yiji” in Lu Xun’s Literature
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Abstract
Background and Objectives: Lu Xun’s literature has long been recognized as a powerful tool for critiquing Chinese society during the late feudal era. Kong Yiji is one of his works that reflects this effort. The character Kong Yiji is not merely a representation of a failed candidate in the imperial examination system, but symbolizes the defeated class that is driven to ruin by structural oppression and social myths. This research aims to analyze Kong Yiji’s role as a reflection of the relationship between Lu Xun’s life experience and his critique of social structures, as well as to reveal the author’s personal critical voice embedded in the text, highlighting the societal mechanisms that collectively contribute to the destruction of those who fail.
Methods: This qualitative research employed documentary analysis as the primary method. It examined the original Chinese text and its Thai translation of Kong Yiji. The content was analyzed through the lens of social critique literary theory and narrative theory, alongside the concepts concerning the relationship between the author and the text. The scope of this research focuses on three dimensions: critique of the feudal structure and the imperial examination system, analysis of narrative structure, and the author’s personal critical voice as conveyed through the text.
Results: The study finds that Kong Yiji reflects the feudal structure that oppressed the lower classes and the myths that ultimately destroyed those who clung to them. Kong Yiji illustrates a victim of both the imperial examination system and the mockery of society. The narrative structure, told through the eyes of a child at a tavern, makes the atmosphere of scorn and social judgment evident without overt criticism. Meanwhile, Lu Xun’s personal critical voice permeates the ambiance and details of the text, expressing his bitterness and life experience of accusation and failure imposed by societal structures.
Application of this study: This study can be applied in literary criticism and literary studies to deepen understanding of social mechanisms hidden in texts. It also serves as a case study for analyzing literature as a tool for critiquing power structures and societal myths, especially in the societies that continue to struggle with oppressive systems and rumors that function as tools of social execution.
Conclusions: Kong Yiji is not simply a short story about a failed examinee, but a mirror of the feudal social structure that collaborates to destroy the defeated, including the imperial examination system, public mockery, and rumors that act as social weapons. Lu Xun uses this story to expose the cruelty hidden in everyday life and to express a critical voice coming from real-life experience. The work retains its contemporary relevance in reflecting and criticizing society.
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