Literary Analysis Essay on The True Story of Ah Q.

Introduction

The success or effectiveness of a piece of writing depends on various factors. Successful authors are those who employ techniques such as humor in their writing. The use of such techniques transforms a piece of writing making it more interesting. Authors such as Lu Xun employ various literary techniques in their writing which makes their works interesting to read. Writing about others may present some specific difficulties. The authors who choose to do so have to ensure that they immerse themselves in the life of the person they are writing about since they need to acquire sufficient information to help in their writing. It takes a lot of hard work, skill and dedication to write an effective piece about an individual. In my view, Lu Xun is successful in portraying others due to his ability of using humor and his provision of a detailed account of his characters.

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Lu Xun takes a conversational and friendly tone while writing about Ah Q. For instance, he begins his account of Ah Q by stating that he had meant to write about him earlier on but he failed to do because of some trepidation. By opening his account of Ah Q with such a statement, he set the tone for the rest of the story. The reader gets to understand his style of writing and enjoys the tone used. Other writers who write about others usually take on strict and formal tones which makes their writing impersonal. From Lu Xun's writing, one can tell that he was passionate about providing an account of his character. It is evident that he admired Ah Q. His admiration for his character might have influenced the tone he used in the writing. He states that "an immortal pen has always been required to write the deed of an immortal man" (Xun 65). The statement is an illustration of his admiration for his character. I believe Lu Xun's admiration of Ah Q contributed to the overall success of the writing.

On several instances, Lu Xun uses quotes in his writing. There are instances where he quotes Ah Q and other instances where he quotes other characters who interacted with Ah Q. The use of such quotes gives his writing the much needed authenticity and creates the belief that he really understood his character. In the introduction of Ah Qs account, he quotes Confucius who had once stated that if the name is not true, the words would not ring (65). He also includes quotes made by Mr. Chao. Other writers usually just give an account of their character's life in continuous form which makes their writing less interesting. In addition to using quotes, Lu Xun makes a point of providing important background details not only about his characters but also about the community in which the character lived. For instance, at the beginning of the second chapter, Lu Xun attempts to explain his character's position in relation to the community in which he lived. In regards to this, he states that the people of Weichuang did not really have sufficient knowledge about Ah Q and only used him for his services after which they forgot about him (69).

In Lu Xun's writing, he assumes to know his character's thoughts and behavior. For instance, while describing Ah Q's fight with the "idlers", he seems to know what both Ah Q and the idlers think. This is illustrated by the statement "Ah Q would walk away also satisfied that he had won, thinking that he was the foremost self-belittler..." (72). These statements give the impression that Lu Xun completely understands his characters. It gives the readers the confidence to read his works. He also explains the traditions and culture of Ah Q's community which further enables the reader to properly understand the biography. Other biography writers usually focus on their character's life and ignore other important aspects about the character. Lu Xun's account of Ah Q is also effective and interesting because of the way he presents it. He starts by talking about Ah Q's victories then proceeds to provide an account of Ah Q's love life.

From Lu Xun's account of Ah Q, it is evident that he encountered various difficulties in writing about his character. Many narrators struggle with naming their characters. In the introduction of Lu Xun's work, he admits that he was not sure on what to write as the title of his work. The other issue that narrators struggle with is finding information about their characters. For instance, Lu Xun struggled with authenticating his character's surname (66). Ah Q's ancestry was not very well known which made it difficult to ascertain his real names. Narrators may also struggle with properly writing their character's names. Lu Xun was not sure of the proper way of writing Ah Q's name. He was forced to look for Ah Q's legal documents just so he could confirm the proper way of writing the name.

Lu Xun was able to successfully write about others because of his use of various literary techniques. The humor and detail provided in the account of Ah Q's life was not only informative but also entertaining. Lu Xun's use of a friendly and conversational tone also helped in setting the right mood for the whole narrative. Even though Lu Xun successfully wrote about his character, narrators struggle with issues such as finding crucial information about their characters. Such difficulties make the writing of a biography challenging.

Works Cited

Xun, Lu. The True Story of Ah Q. 2006.