Lu Xun's Childhood: The Literary Giant From a Southern Town

On a quiet summer afternoon, a little boy sneaked out of his house, tightly clutching an old book in his hand. He ran to the willow tree by the river, opened the pages, and began to read voraciously. This little boy would later become the founding figure of modern Chinese literature—Lu Xun.

For some people, an unhappy childhood needs a lifetime to heal, while for others, a happy childhood can heal a lifetime. Lu Xun was the latter. Born as Zhou Shuren, Lu Xun came from a scholarly family in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. His father, Zhou Boyi, was a private tutor, and his mother, Lu Rui, was a virtuous homemaker. The scholarly atmosphere at home and his parents’ upbringing laid a solid cultural foundation for him.

Little Shuren often played with the neighborhood children, climbing trees, catching fish, and occasionally quarreling over trivial matters. However, his intelligence and mischievousness made him stand out among his peers. He loved to read his father’s books at home, often for hours on end. This love for books cultivated his future reading and writing habits.

One time, while playing by the town’s river with his friends, they discovered a bamboo grove they had never explored before. The children decided to venture into the grove and unexpectedly found an ancient well covered in moss, exuding an aura of age and mystery. Little Shuren was deeply captivated by the well, his imagination running wild as if he saw countless stories and secrets hidden at the bottom.

Another time, Lu Xun and his friends visited an abandoned temple in the town on a rainy day. The temple walls were mottled, the roof had collapsed, and the interior was filled with cobwebs and dust. They ventured inside and found a pile of old books and paintings in a side hall. Although he couldn’t understand most of the content, the ancient texts and illustrations fascinated him. This discovery deepened his interest in books, and he even started to imitate the characters and scenes in the paintings.

Lu Xun’s childhood was filled with joy and adventure, and the small town of Shaoxing seemed like his playground. However, these beautiful memories became especially precious in his later life. The fortunate use their childhood to heal a lifetime, and Lu Xun’s childhood became his spiritual haven during turbulent times.

From an early age, Lu Xun was taught to read and write by his father. Zhou Boyi, his father, was not only a private tutor but also took his son’s education very seriously. Every morning, his father would recite the Four Books and Five Classics in the courtyard, and Lu Xun would follow along. His early education was conducted under his father’s strict guidance.

In the private school classroom, Lu Xun sat in the front row, listening attentively. The private tutor taught “The Three Character Classic,” “The Hundred Family Surnames,” and “The Thousand Character Classic,” all of which he could quickly recite. Despite this, his thoughts often drifted to the mysteries and unknowns outside the window. Once, during a lecture on “The Analects,” he suddenly raised his hand and asked, “Why did Confucius travel around the various states?” This question left the teacher speechless and impressed his classmates.

Beyond textbooks, Lu Xun enjoyed reading a variety of miscellaneous books from his father’s study. He avidly read classical novels such as “Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio,” “Water Margin,” and “Dream of the Red Chamber.” Although his father rarely smiled, he would show a look of satisfaction when he saw his son’s eagerness to learn. At night, his mother would light a lamp for him and remind him not to read too late and strain his eyes.

During holidays, Lu Xun often accompanied his father to the academy to attend lectures. On one occasion, a famous scholar was invited to explain “Records of the Grand Historian.” Lu Xun was enthralled and immediately asked his father for the book when they returned home, starting to read it word by word. This thirst for knowledge and diligent spirit laid a strong foundation for his future literary creations.

During the late Qing Dynasty, society was in turmoil, and Lu Xun witnessed many injustices, planting the seeds of dissatisfaction with the social situation in his young heart.

In the alleys of Shaoxing, beggars were often seen begging on the streets, their clothes tattered and eyes filled with helplessness and sorrow. Lu Xun sometimes secretly shared his snacks with them, despite often being scolded by his father for this. He once saw a gaunt old beggar huddled in a corner during a harsh winter, with no one willing to offer any help. This image was deeply etched in his memory, giving him an early understanding of societal indifference and injustice.

Once, Lu Xun saw a group of children mocking a street vendor, jeering at the cheap and shoddy goods he was selling. The vendor angrily retorted but was drowned out by more laughter. Lu Xun felt anger and helplessness, realizing that the weak in society often faced bullying while those in power turned a blind eye.

In addition to these heartbreaking scenes, Lu Xun witnessed more injustices. The farmers in the town often lost their land due to high-interest loans from landlords, becoming displaced. Once, he saw a farmer whose only plow ox was forcibly taken by a landlord because he couldn’t repay his debt. The look of despair in the farmer’s eyes was unforgettable to him.

These experiences stirred strong emotional waves in Lu Xun’s young heart. He began to ponder why these injustices occurred and why the weak were not given the respect they deserved. These early observations and thoughts provided deep themes for his future literary works and strengthened his resolve to express his thoughts through literature.

Lu Xun’s childhood was not without its struggles. He experienced family upheaval and witnessed his father’s death from illness, which deeply affected his young heart. During that time, Lu Xun often sat alone in his father’s study, flipping through familiar books, as if searching for traces of his father in the pages. His love for books and thirst for knowledge never waned despite losing his father; instead, it became more resolute.

In the days following his father’s death, Lu Xun had to take on some family responsibilities. He began helping his mother with household chores and taking care of his younger siblings. This experience made him grow up quickly and developed his independence and sense of responsibility.

Once, he saw a street vendor being publicly humiliated by a creditor for his debts in the market, with no one in the crowd standing up for him. Lu Xun’s anger and helplessness reached their peak, and he rushed forward to try to stop it but was pushed to the ground by the creditor. This experience made him realize that one person’s strength was not enough to change social injustices, but he also understood that only through words and ideas could more people be awakened.

During that time, he often went to the riverside alone, staring at the water and pondering how to change the current situation. He gradually realized that he could not just immerse himself in books and fantasies but needed to put his learning into practice and use his pen to speak for the weak.

These hardships did not defeat him; instead, they strengthened his will, making his future literary creations more resilient and powerful. His deep understanding of suffering filled his works with sympathy for humanity and criticism of society.