Dualism of the Chinese Lower Class as Reflected in Lu Hsun’s Short Stories ทวิลักษณ์ของชนชั้นล่างชาวจีนในเรื่องสั้นของหลู่ซิ่น

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the dualism of the Chinese lower class as reflected in eleven short stories by Lu Hsun, one of the greatest writers in modern Chinese history. It was a qualitative study based on documentary data and was conducted in three stages: collecting data from documents and previous studies related to the concept of dualism and Lu Hsun’s literary works, analyzing the data primarily through content analysis and interpretation, and presenting the findings through descriptive analysis. The study adopted the concept of dualism as its analytical framework, which was divided into two levels: social dualism and individual dualism. The findings revealed that, at the societal level, the Chinese lower class possessed both strengths, such as diligence and generosity, and limitations, including inquisitiveness and dishonesty. At the individual level, the character Ah Q in “The true story of Ah Q” representing the male Chinese lower class exhibited a contradictory personality characterized by arrogance and ignorance, which was manifested in traits of subservience to authority while simultaneously demonstrating a propensity to oppress those of a lower status, as well as prejudice against women alongside a desire for love. Meanwhile, the character Aigu in “Divorce” representing the female Chinese lower class, particularly wives living outside traditional norms in rural China was portrayed as arrogant and domineering toward those close to her, yet at the same time timid and submissive when facing authority figures.