Point of View

Each story is told from the perspective of a narrator who is sometimes named and sometimes not. The reader views his experiences through the narrator's eyes but also can see the narrator's flaws and understand opposing views. Based on the background information given prior to the stories, each narrator's voice sounds like the voice of Lu Xun. It is clear that each narrator is based on Lu Xun or those with whom Lu Xun has come into close contact. These narrators are frequently the main characters in the stories but not always. In some stories the narrator is a bystander watching and having some or no interaction with the character that is the protagonist in the story. The first-person perspective is used throughout the book as the narrator describes his surroundings and the events that unfold. At times other characters also speak in first person. When...