The Madman's Transnational Journey: From Zhou Shuren's Encounter with "Madman" to His Kuangren Riji ("Diary of a Madman")

LI Dong mu

The “madman’s transnational journey” discussed in this paper refers to the spiritual process through which Zhou Shuren encountered the “madman” during his study abroad period, leading to the creation of Kuangren Riji and his transformation into Lu Xun. This study builds on the previously established background of the “spiritual history of the madman” and serves as a supplementary exploration of the narrative gap between On the Power of Mara Poetry and Kuangren Riji. The author argues that the organic connection between these two works remains underexplored, and the literary translations and critiques that accompanied Zhou, alongside his “madman’s transnational journey,” form a spiritual bridge between them. This paper clarifies the context in which Zhou encountered Gogol and three versions of Diary of a Madman, and it addresses the inspiration from Nietzsche’s discourse through Gorky, Andreyev, and Chekhov, the establishment process of the “madman aesthetics,” and the spiritual and creative significance of Meiji-era Russian literature. Through translation, Zhou realized the transplantation of the “madman’s” realm beyond the meaning of words. Kuangren Riji marks the spiritual culmination of the “madman’s transnational journey” and the beginning of a new chapter brought forth by Zhou at the age of 37.
Keywords　Kuangren Riji (“Diary of a Madman”)　Zhou Shuren　Gogol　Gorky　Andreyev

JOURNAL OF THE FACULTY OF LETTERS

創栄図書印刷株式会社

105

09189416

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