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The True Story of Ah Q

The novel “The True Story of Ah Q” is a masterpiece in the history of modern Chinese fiction. Ah Q was a poor peasant being deprived of all his belongings; he embodies the image of a simple and ignorant farmer who is deeply troubled by the feudal system. He is characterized by the common conservativeness of a petty producer and lack of self-consciousness.

The most ironical part of his ideas is his self-satisfied spiritual triumph. Though he is at the bottom of the society as an eternal loser, who suffers frequently hurts, setbacks and humiliation, he always takes an incredible attitude to defend and gloss over his doomed destiny and his enslaved status. Actually, his spirit is the representative of the frailties in the Chinese national character. “The True Story of Ah Q” portrays vividly the national soul and exposes fully the national weaknesses, thus stimulating the awakening of the people. It is comedic in form and tragic in content, and endowed with an enormous artistic charm with its strong tragic flavor.

Learn Chinese at Keats School. One of popular teaching methods that is employed by Keats teachers for advanced Chinese learners is reading Chinese fiction during the class. Students will have a better understanding of Chinese literature, which represents different social attitudes towards different policies and cultural backgrounds.

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