Typological Closeness in the Works of V. Vynnychenko and Lu Xun

The study compares the works of representatives of Western and Eastern culture –Volodymyr Vynnychenko and Lu Xun. Common features of the works of Ukrainian and Chinese authors have been identified: focus on the transformation of outdated traditional forms and methods in literature, involvement of new themes, problems, images and genres, social engagement, excessive journalism, use of the modernist technique of stream of consciousness, use of the narrator, use of simple vernacular, sharp criticism of the social system, Nietzschean trace, use of the image of a madman to denote a political opponent and dissident, etc. Historical, genetic, and typological connections between the analyzed works, in which the spirit of European modernism is keenly felt, have been proven. The author emphasizes that talented writers do not imitate European cultural influences. They interpret foreign trends in their own way, adapting them to the peculiarities of their own national literature. The comparison of the works of prominent representatives of seemingly different cultures allowed us to show that no political, ideological, geographical, religious, linguistic, or even mental barriers can stop intellectual exchange within individual nations and entire cultures.