CRUZ, Maria Isabela T.

(2012-61168) English 12 Sir Jose Duke Bagulaya

A Madman’s Diary: A brief analysis

“A Madman’s Diary” is a fairly simple story if examined plot-wise. It begins with an

introduction from the narrator that explains that he came to know that a childhood friend of his
had fallen ill and resolved to visit him, however when he did, he was informed by the older
brother of his friend that his younger brother had recovered and had taken up a government post
in a different village. The older brother laughingly hands over the diary of his younger brother
which was filled with “confused and incoherent” writings, and “wild statements”. He continues
on to explain that the title “A Madman’s Diary” was chosen by the diarist after he had recovered.

The diary is basically the account of the diarist’s arbitrary thoughts and fears. So intense
and out of this world are his fears that it seems very clear that the diarist must be suffering from
some form of paranoia. He begins to believe that everyone meaning the villagers, the doctor, and
even his own older brother are out to eat him. He concludes that his younger sister must have
been eaten by his elder brother, and that his mom chose not to speak of it because of the
sensitivity and inappropriateness of the topic. The diarist concludes his account by resting his
hopes on the younger generation, or those who have not yet eaten men. He urges whoever might
so happen to read his account to “Save the children.”

It is evident that there are two primary forces in the selection—that of the madman, and
that of the rest of society. The madman is convinced that the whole of society is against him.
This of course leads him become paranoid of everything and everyone. As the only person who
sees the primitiveness of Chinese society, he is isolated. This extreme loneliness can be likened
to Lu Xun’s Iron House that he mentioned in the preface of “A Call to Arms” (Tambling, 2007).
Lu Xun saw society as “an iron house without windows, absolutely indestructible, with many
people fast asleep inside who will soon die of suffocation.” Given this, more than simply being
insane, what the madman really is, is a prisoner to an oppressive society that stifles
individualism.

In the selection, apart from alienation, one could see the recurring themes of submission
to authority, conformity and complete obedience to tradition, not to mention the subsequent need
for change.
CRUZ, Maria Isabela T.
(2012-61168) English 12 Sir Jose Duke Bagulaya
If we interpret the madman as being representative of the individual, his fear of being
eaten can also represent his fear of being eliminated by a society that destroys people who are
harmful to status quo, those who refuse to conform or those who have ideas that can spark
change.

The need to conform is highlighted several times in the text specifically when the doctor
tells the madman “Don’t let your imagination run away with you.” and when the madman mused
that “Others knew they shouldn’t eat me but still wanted to, and were afraid people might
discover their secret.”

The irony of the “A Madman’s Diary” is that the madman is the only person who sees
reality clearly, and when he was “cured”, he was not only defeated by the very system that he
was previously against, but in the end, he also perpetuates the same oppression that he was once
victim to (Tambling, 2007).

The madman often writes how those who ogle at him must have “learned this from their
parents” which shows how tradition is perpetuated and passed on through the family. The power
of tradition is further explored in the doctor’s view on cannibalism that since “that’s the way it’s
always been”, they should not try to change it. After this particular statement, the madman again
writes that “He must have been taught by his parents. And I am afraid that he has already taught
his son.” All of these echo Marx’s belief that it is almost impossible to break away from the past,
and that "the tradition of the dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the minds of the
living" (Tambling, 2007).

At the pinnacle of tradition during this period of Chinese history were of course the
teachings of Confucius.

In the selection, the madman driven by his curiosity reads through a volume of
“Confucian Virtue and Morality” and comes to the conclusion that in essence, behind the lofty
ideals of humanitarianism, justice and virtue, what Confucianism really promotes is the practice
of eating men.

This realization of the madman that he is “party to a history that counts four thousand
years of cannibalism” makes even more explicit the views of Lu Xun on Confucianist tradition
CRUZ, Maria Isabela T.
(2012-61168) English 12 Sir Jose Duke Bagulaya
and the feudalistic society it supports. With this, Lu Xun essentially ties Confucianism to
Cannibalism.

Cannibalism is very clearly used as a metaphor for the oppressive feudalistic society and
traditional Chinese culture. Through cannibalism, Lu Xun is able to illustrate how this the culture
of the traditional Chinese feudalistic society tends to be similarly “man-eating”—that is one
where the strong are left devour the weak—not to mention primitive, and harmful to the Chinese
people. In particular, according to Xuanmeng, Xiaohe, Liu , Rulun & Enderle , “Confucianism
maintained a feudal, patriarchal society ruled by a despotic monarch, in which government
officials extorted excessive taxes and levies while common people enjoyed no freedom (2009).”

“A Madman’s Diary” criticizes Confucian morality which advocated respect for tradition,
obedience and the practice of rituals. As an important work in the Intellectual Revolution, the
work challenged the very foundations of Chinese Society, and the restrictive customs attached to
it like bound feet and arranged marriages. These customs, in the opinion of those who supported
the May 4th Movement, kept China from progressing, and made China ill-suited to competing
with more technologically advanced nations (Bianco, 1971).

Confucianism profoundly influenced Chinese culture and gave rise to the Chinese
obsession with unity and harmonious communities. However this fixation on harmony and unity
contributed to the “prolonged stagnation of feudal society, the slow growth of capitalism,
exaggerated national pride and a lack of progressive thinking (Yi-jie, 2009)”.

The author is very overt with his call for change. When the madman confronts his brother
for eating men he says “Although this has been going on since time immemorial, today we could
make a special effort to do what is right, and say this can’t be done.” Likewise, Lu Xun wanted
to point out that just because Confucianism has been around for thousands of years, doesn’t
mean it is the only way of living. Beliefs and culture can still be changed if people have the
courage to oppose it.
CRUZ, Maria Isabela T.
(2012-61168) English 12 Sir Jose Duke Bagulaya

Bibliography:

Bianco, L. (1971). Origins of the Chinese Revolution: 1915-1949. (pp. 27-198). Stanford
University Press.

Tambling, J. (2007). Madmen and other survivors: Reading Lu Xun's fiction. (pp. 25-32).
Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.

Xuanmeng, Y., Xiaohe, L., Liu , F., Rulun, Z., & Enderle, G. (2009). Economic ethics
and Chinese Culture: Chinese philosophical studies. (Vol. XIII). The Council for Research in
Values and Philosophy Retrieved from http://www.crvp.org/book/Series03/III-14/contents.htm

Yi-jie, T. (2009). Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, Christianity and Chinese Culture.

(Vol. III). The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy. Retrieved from
http://www.crvp.org/book/Series03/III-3/chapter_v__the_problem_of_harmon.htm