Melancholy

A sense of melancholy is prevalent throughout much of this book. The hardships of daily life guide the characters in many of Lu Xun's stories. Along with daily strife, the characters are influenced by a culture in which education and image play important roles in one's livelihood and relationships. The politics of the day greatly influence the lives of the general populace and even designate whether a man should have long or short hair.

All of these factors tend to lead the characters to feelings of gloom and loneliness, lending a melancholy to these stories. This sense of melancholy also has a tendency to continue throughout the stories with only moments of reprieve, only to return back to this sense of sadness and loss.

This is a universal theme because people of all races, cultures, and social classes can relate to feelings of hopelessness and loneliness. Daily life...