Diary of a Madman

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1918

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Background

Story Analysis

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

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Symbols & Motifs

Cannibalism

Cannibalism operates as the central symbol in “Diary of a Madman.” Within the context of the story, cannibalism symbolizes societal domination, exploitation, and unjust social structures. Over the course of the story, the “madman” believes that not only do his neighbors harbor resentments toward him but also toward each other, leading them to conspire to eat their neighbors. Lu Xun expands the symbol of cannibalism to include other types of social injustice, including the power of parents over their children, government over the people, and the old over the young.

Through examining history, and in conversations with others, the “madman” realizes that cannibalism is an integral part of his society and that the practice goes back thousands of years. It is perpetuated through the generations as parents teach their children, who internalize and practice injustice. The “madman” seeks to change this system at several points in the story: first by demonstrating his own virtue, then by trying to convince others to change their ways, and finally by realizing that the only ones who can be saved are children.

Children

Children do double symbolic duty in the story. First, children are a symbol of existing social problems, especially power imbalances and exploitation. The first time that the “madman” hears a reference to cannibalism in the story is when a woman scolds her child and threatens to bite them; the threat of being eaten constantly hangs over children. In a Confucian context, children are required to be subservient to both elder siblings as well as their parents. Children are presented as victims of oppression: The “madman’s” elder brother tells him that, historically, children were often traded and eaten. Furthermore, the elder brother expresses the idea that children should be willing to feed their own flesh to their parents should the need arise (XI).

However, children also symbolize innocence and hope for the future. The “madman” concludes that society is beyond saving, except for the children. At the end of the story, he directly addresses the reader and implores them to “save the children” (XIII). Children are not yet tainted by the immoral act of eating human flesh or by corrupt external power structures. In contrast to the narrative’s adults, who refuse to listen to the “madman’s” pleas to turn away from traditions that permit cannibalism, children are not set in their beliefs and have a greater potential for growth and change.

Moon

The moon is another multifaceted symbol. The moon has historically been associated with non-scientific and poetic concepts of “madness.” In English, the word “lunatic” is derived from the Latin word for moon, luna, and mental health conditions were believed to be related to lunar cycles. In his first diary entry, the “madman” remarks that he is seeing the moon for the first time in his 30 years, and its emergence marks the beginning of a deterioration in his mental health.

The moon also symbolizes changing times and ideas. The traditional Chinese calendar relied on the phases of the moon to measure the passage of time. Therefore, the appearance of the moon at the beginning of the diary signifies the beginning of a new era. The moonlight reveals the savagery of the world. Not only does the light of the moon signal a new age, but it also reveals the social rot the “madman” sees around him. In the absence of moonlight, people cannot see the world around them clearly: “No moonlight at all tonight—something is not quite right” (II). The moon and moonlight thus refer to both the passage of time and the enlightenment of a new era.

Virtue and Justice

What makes an action virtuous or just is a prevalent motif in “Diary of a Madman.” The practice of cannibalism is wrapped in the language of morality and justice. Throughout the story, those who practice or tolerate cannibalism attempt to justify it. When the “madman” is reading historical texts, he sees the words “Benevolence,” “Morality,” and “Righteousness” scrawled across the pages, along with the words “EAT PEOPLE” written in the margins (III). The conflation of good social order with cannibalism is repeated again when the elder brother claims that a son’s duty to his ailing parents is to feed them his own flesh.

The “madman” further observes that true justice matters little when eating humans. He argues that everyone has done something bad in their past, and this will be used as an ad hoc justification for their death. The text’s characters all have a need to frame their unjust practices as righteous: Whether they believe that they are acting justly, or whether they are only trying to assuage their guilt is never clear.