Lu Xun

Lu Xun ({{zh-tspw|t=??|s=??|p=L? Xùn|w=Lu Hsün}}) or Lu Hsün (September 25, 1881 – October 19, 1936), the pen name of Zhou Shuren ({{zh-tsp|t=???|s=???|p=Zh?u Shùrén}}), has been considered the most influential Chinese writer of the 20th century and is seen as the founder of modern baihua (白话 báihuà) or vernacular Chinese literature. His social thought, which substantially criticized traditional cultural values, was also highly influential in 20th century Chinese history, in particular, to the May Fourth Movement and the strains of thought it gave rise to, which in turn had a great impact on the Chinese communist movement and the rise of the People's Republic of China. He was also a noted translator and helped introduce Chinese to modern international literature.

Style

Lu Xun's style is wry, often sardonic but with a biting edge on societal issues. His mastery of the vernacular language, coupled with his expertise with tone -- often refusing to occupy any easy position, using linguistic virtuosity as his shield -- make some of his works (like A Q Zhengzhuan, 阿Q正传, The True Story of Ah Q) virtually untranslatable. Lu Xun's importance to modern Chinese literature lies in the fact that he contributed significantly to every modern literary genre except the novel during his lifetime.

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