An Analysis of the Myth Enlightening Lu Xun in the Context of Literature and History

The “slide incident” is often interpreted as the motive for Lu Xun's decision to abandon medicine for literature. Can the “slide incident” be considered a myth that enlightened Lu Xun? Examining the visual discrepancies and the substitution of “beheading” with “shooting” in Lu Xun's “Preface to Call to Arms” and “Mr. Fujino,” reveals a divide between civilization and barbarism. Lu Xun intentionally crafted these narratives as literary texts rather than historical accounts, highlighting the opposition and mutual mirroring between the self and the other. Analyzing the historical background and national factors, one can investigate the perspectives of the various viewers involved in Lu Xun's construction of the “slide incident.” These perspectives represent philosophical reflections on the self and the other, as well as cultural references of different nations. In the process of textual interpretation, Lu Xun and his Japanese classmates, belonging to Jonathan's observer theory, offered different admonitions due to their national identities. The Japanese classmates attempted to align with Lu Xun towards a common “Sino-Japanese victory,” while Lu Xun's “escape” was imbued with a predetermined logic and avoidance of historical factors that would emerge 17 years later. The viewing positions of the various spectators in the “slide incident” are either fluid, obscured, or suspended in Lu Xun's narrative, aiming to find a position for the critique of national character