Diary of a Madman

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1918

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Themes

Domination and Control in Systems of Power

The way that domination and control feed into systems of power is a central theme of “Diary of a Madman” that is explored through the symbolic eating of human flesh. Groups and individuals show their dominance by eating others whom they view as subservient and belonging lower down the social hierarchy. In the story, this domination exists across multiple dimensions within Chinese society and history. The “madman” believes that villagers devour those they perceive to be unrighteous, as in Wolf Cub Village. He also believes that the old devour the young, parents devour their children, and that the state metaphorically “devours” its people. Reversal of the traditional power structure begins as a central fear of the “madman.” As a government official, the notion that the general population would turn on and cannibalize him represents a reversal of the Confucian power structure.

However, as the story progresses, the “madman” realizes the extent of the barbarity around him. He sees that cannibalism is common throughout history, passed from one generation to another, even to his own family. The “madman” eventually understands his own role in the system of hierarchy and oppression. When considering whether his own older brother ate his sister, he realizes, “Who’s to say he didn’t slip some of her meat into the food we ate? Who’s to say I didn’t eat a few pieces of my younger sister’s flesh?” (XII). The “madman” understands that he is as much of the societal hierarchy as anyone, and is also culpable for the unjust system under which he lives. The “madman” ruminates on who in society is innocent, and at the end of the story, he realizes that children are the only ones who have not yet been tainted by evil. The last line of the story is “save the children,” as the “madman” urges people to protect children from the sin of eating human flesh and the risk of falling foul of corrupting power structures.

The “madman” initially believes that righteousness and courage may be a shield against cannibalism, representing the belief that being a good citizen is sufficient to effect positive change. However, he quickly concludes that his virtue is no protection. He realizes that being a good man will not stop him being eaten, and that the villagers will find some reason to hate him. The “madman” thus attempts to convert the villagers from cannibalism, exhorting them to change their ways and discard the practice forever. He argues that it is in their own interests, as they either destroy each other, or some outside “real humans” will come destroy them like wild animals.

Ultimately, the “madman” fails, realizing that the villagers “would rather die than take that one little step” (IX). The “madman’s” shift in mentality represents disillusionment with society and social norms. Lu Xun suggests that people will often put up with immoral and unjust practices rather than face the consequences of upsetting the established power structure.

Evolution and Modernism

“Diary of a Madman” is a critique not only of traditional Chinese concepts of hierarchy and domination, but it also advocates for new ways of understanding history and society. The late 19th and early 20th century introduced many foreign ideas that new generations of Chinese nationalists consumed with fascination. Among these was the theory of evolution, and, more specifically, Social Darwinism. Evolution as a scientific theory was not a native Chinese concept. Its introduction to Chinese academic and intellectual circles generated a degree of interest among reform-minded writers, thinkers, and politicians. The idea that species and societies could evolve and change over time undercut longstanding cyclical conceptions of Chinese history. Lu Xun employs the theme of evolution and modernism as both a foil to traditional Confucian systems of societal organization, and also as a potential way toward reform.

Lu Xun explores these concepts through animal imagery, including hyenas, wolves, and dogs. The “madman” recounts reading about the hyena, an African relative to the wolf that consumes the flesh of dead animals. However, through the process of evolution, both of these wild animals were domesticated, tamed, and became dogs. The “madman” becomes concerned that dogs are able to regress to their more primal, ancestral forms. He observes what he believes to be the de-evolution of the village dog, belonging to the Zhao family. The dog, a domesticated wolf, glares at the “madman,” prompting him to suspect it plans to eat him. The “madman” further recounts a story from “Wolf Cub Village,” wherein the villagers killed and ate one of their number (III). The village’s name connects cannibalism to the dog’s lupine ancestor, and reinforces that wild dogs, whether hyenas or wolves, are associated with the text’s presentation of Chinese society as self-consuming and self-destructive.

The “madman” admonishes the villagers for not transcending their primal nature. Lu Xun characterizes the villagers as “uncivilized” and suggests that, if they were willing, they could “evolve” into a more advanced form. He tells the villagers, “If a lot of you don’t change, you’re going to devour each other anyway […] A real human being is going to come along and eradicate the lot of you, just like a hunter getting rid of wolves” (X). The system of hierarchical domination is a destructive force that cannibalizes its own. The “madman” continues, “Change from the bottom of your hearts! You ought to know that in the future they’re not going to allow cannibals in the world anymore” (X). Through acting as wolves or hyenas, the villagers doom not only themselves to “barbarism” and eventual eradication, but the community as well. The “madman’s” words reflect the larger theme of Lu Xun calling upon Chinese civilization to discard antiquated ideas for the survival of the nation.

History, Cycles, and Generations

“Diary of a Madman” also explores the theme of historical weight on society and the manner in which that burden is passed to subsequent generations. This is accomplished through examining the historical legacy of domination, and how that legacy is taught to children, who will later participate in the same system.

When the “madman” speaks to his elder brother about an instance of cannibalism in a nearby village, the elder brother dismisses it, saying, “[I]t’s always been that way” (VIII). The “madman” looks back into history, searching for answers to the dangers of cannibalism. As he reads history books, he notices repeated references to the rightness of the system, seeing the words “Benevolence,” “Righteousness,” and “Morality” repeated throughout the works. Upon closer inspection, however, he sees the words “EAT PEOPLE!” scrawled in the margins (III). This highlights how powerholders have historically attempted to justify their oppression and exploitation of others by cloaking their language with references to justice and virtue. Although they claim moral virtue, their actions still amount to the simple truth of cannibalism. The entire story reflects a sense of timelessness and of historical stagnation. The diary entries do not contain dates (other than the final entry), and even when the “madman” is reading history, looking for instances of cannibalism, he comments that the history book has no dates (III).

The “madman” is baffled that, although he exploited Mr. Gu, the villagers still harbor ill will against him many years later. As the younger children were not alive for his misdeeds, the “madman” concludes that they must have learned to hate him through their parents. Even Mr. Gu’s name means “olden times” or “Antiquity” in the original Chinese. Thus, throughout history, grievances are passed down from one generation to another.

Injustice is also perpetuated and repeated across the generations. The “madman” first begins to believe that the villagers are conspiring to eat him when he witnesses a mother telling her child that she will take a bite out of him (II). Later, the “madman” suspects a young man of being “one of them,” and considers how he became so. He decides that “it must be because his mom and dad taught him that way. And he’s probably already passed it on to his own son. No wonder that even the children give murderous looks” (VIII). The “madman” concludes that there is no escaping the weight of history: “Although I wasn’t aware of it in the beginning, know that I know I’m someone with four thousand years’ experience of cannibalism behind me, how hard it is to look real human beings in the eye!” (XII). The only way forward is to break the cycle of violence and oppression by preventing passing down immoral practices to the next generation, which is why the story ends with the “madman’s” plea to “save the children” (XIII).