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Paul B. Foster. Ah Q Archaeology: Lu Xun, Ah Q, Ah Q Progeny and the National Character Discourse in Twentieth-Century China

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Paul B. Foster. Ah Q Archaeology: Lu Xun, Ah Q, Ah Q Progeny and the National Character Discourse in Twentieth-Century China Paul B. Foster. Ah Q Archaeology: Lu Xun, Ah Q, Ah Q Progeny and the National Character Discourse in Twentieth-Century China. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2006. xii + 401 pp. $99.00, cloth, ISBN 978-0-7391-1168-0. Reviewed by Yu Chang Published on H-Nationalism (October, 2007) In July 2007, activists held a mock funeral in (guomin xing), was not commonly used in a racist Detroit for the "N-Word," one of the most deni‐ context. For decades after its frst appearance, the grating and racist epithets for black people, re‐ Chinese themselves used the term to label those minding us of the long and painful history of who are complacently ignorant, indolent, unhy‐ struggle against racial discrimination in the Unit‐ gienic, backward, slavish, and parochial. As a neg‐ ed States. It was a symbolic burial of a chapter of ative example, it served as a warning to urge Chi‐ history in which the voices of African Americans nese to change for the "better." However, since were silenced, their civil rights violated, and their people using this term implicitly identify certain identity as members of the American nation de‐ negative human characteristics as "natural" com‐ nied. The lesson was clear: objective and just his‐ ponents of the Chinese national character, they tory writing requires narration and interpretation are ironically accepting and reinforcing certain that is mindful of just how biased, misrepresenta‐ stereotypical images of the Chinese. Some schol‐ tive, and historically-loaded words such as the "N- ars might associate such usage with self-Oriental‐ Word" are. As a Chinese Canadian, I am well ism or -Occidentalism. Foster mentions both of aware of those similarly degrading terms used by these possibilities. He also quotes from Xiaomei some racists in the West to create stereotypical Chen's book Occidentalism: A Theory of Counter- images of ethnic Chinese; many words acquire Discourse in Post-Mao China (1995) to give us a racial connotations over time, the term "Ah Q," for definition of the term: "Occidentalism refers to 'a example. Should these words also receive mock discursive practice that, by constructing its West‐ funerals? Should we bury this Q-word because it ern Other, has allowed the Orient to participate can have racist connotations? actively and with indigenous creativity in the To be fair, the term Ah Q, the name of a fc‐ process of self-appropriation, even after being ap‐ tional character created by Lu Xun in 1921 to rep‐ propriated and constructed by Western Others' " resent the negative Chinese national character (quoted, p. 13). Over the years, there have been ongoing discussions about whether Ah Q was re‐ H-Net Reviews ally "dead," even after Lu Xun had him executed gument of the book is that the "True Story of Ah in the fnal episode of the "True Story of Ah Q Q," when being read, discussed, critiqued and de‐ (Feb. 12, 1922)." Paul B. Foster's immensely rich bated in the public sphere, "functions in the and complex book traces the rise and develop‐ 'imagining' of the national character." This ment of this ironically constructed Ah Q discourse process, as described by Foster, continues "until and explores how it has played a significant role gradually an imagined national character is con‐ in shaping Chinese nationalism since the early structed, deconstructed and reconstructed, indi‐ twentieth century. vidual by individual, traversing the collective Ah Q Archaeology is an ambitious attempt to readership over a long period of time" (p. 14). weld literary study and historical analysis in ex‐ Chapter 1 of the book gives readers an "over‐ ploring the rise of Chinese nationalism. Foster view of the Ah Q discourse" (p. 5), essentially trac‐ sees a parallel development between literary pro‐ ing how Ah Q, as a symbol of negative Chinese na‐ duction and the rise of national consciousness in tional character, was interpreted and reinterpret‐ early twentieth-century China: "Literature is the ed over the years. It ends with a brief discussion key to not only the construction of national identi‐ of methodology and introduces the term genealo‐ ty, but also to the destructive critique of national gy, which Foster defines as the history of dis‐ character in early twentieth-century China and course (p. 10). By studying the history of Ah Q dis‐ therein lies a basic paradox of nationalism in Chi‐ course, Foster attempts to reveal the dual role of na--'ironic nationalism.' Ironic nationalism is the Ah Q as both agent and product of Chinese nation‐ idea that Chinese thinkers like Lu Xun and Liang alism. Chapter 2 provides the historical context of Qichao participated in the nation building effort his analysis of Ah Q discourse and a brief intro‐ during the late Qing and early Republican era by duction of some theoretical works on nationalism way of their negative critiques of Chinese national (mainly by Anthony D. Smith, Benedict Anderson, character" (p. 19). During the May Fourth New and Ernest Renan) and other important studies on Culture Movement (roughly 1915-1925), Lu Xun Chinese nationalism and Lu Xun (by Lydia H. Liu and other iconoclastic intellectuals questioned the and Prasenjit Duara).[2] Chapters 3 and 4 deal validity of holding on to traditional Chinese val‐ with Lu Xun's early essays (before 1911) and later ues, especially Confucian ones, for reforming a writings (1918-1936). Chapters 5 and 6 are themat‐ China that was subjected to both Western imperi‐ ic studies of Lu Xun's contributions to the Ah Q alistic aggression and domestic political fragmen‐ discourse. They are entitled "Lu Xun's Attack on tation.[1] Through their essays and fctional writ‐ National Essence and Chinese Spiritual Culture" ings, these intellectuals encouraged their fellow and "Construction of the Ah Q Discourse Chinese to envisage a new, enlightened, and civi‐ (1922-1949)" respectively. Chapter 7 includes a dis‐ lized national character by questioning and aban‐ cussion of Lu Xun's reputation in the West, espe‐ doning the old and decaying one, as represented cially how his work was read and praised by Ro‐ by Ah Q. Lu Xun thus contributed to the creation main Rolland. Chapter 8 discusses how the Ah Q of a new national consciousness. But Foster warns discourse continued to thrive after the founding us not to give too much agency to both Lu Xun of the People's Republic of China in 1949: Lu Xun and Ah Q: "Situated at the crossroads of the dis‐ was canonized by Chairman Mao, and the Ah Q course of modernity and tradition, and of nation‐ character was interpreted as a Chinese peasant alism and culturalism, Lu Xun was both an agent whose negative behavior reflected the mentality shaping the modern national consciousness and a of the landowners who repressed him. Ah Q did product of it. His most famous character, Ah Q, is not represent national character but class nature. also such an agent-product" (p. 7). The central ar‐ Ironically, some critics of the Chinese Communist 2 H-Net Reviews Party were able to use the Ah Q discourse to cri‐ tween nationalism and invented tradition should tique Chairman Mao. The conclusion, chapter 9, have been raised in the introduction of the book. restates some of Foster's earlier points. [3] The book provides different perspectives for Likewise, chapter 1 should have included a understanding the trajectory of the Ah Q dis‐ short biography of Lu Xun and a short synopsis of course through close readings of Lu Xun's works the "True Story of Ah Q"; as it is, readers must and those by others involved in the discourse. The wait until page 140 to fnd such a synopsis. Al‐ strength of this approach, which provides detailed though the expressed purpose of the book is to textual analyses revealing how the Chinese nation caution against giving too much agency to Lu Xun was "imagined" collectively through reading and and the concept of Ah Q spirit, the desired syn‐ critiquing the "True Story of Ah Q," is sometimes opses could be of immense help to those of us undermined by confusing organization and re‐ who are not Lu Xun specialists. The frst section of dundancy of important points. For example, com‐ chapter 1 only tells us that Ah Q is "a prominent paring the texts (on pp. 341 and 345), we see very symbol of the Chinese national character in the similar ideas and sentence constructions: "Ah Q modern Chinese intellectual consciousness" and discourse thus retained a vitality during the Cul‐ that it is perceived as a "negative symbol" (p. 1). tural Revolution and moreover into the twenty- The author does not elaborate on why the symbol first century, despite political dogma that would is negative. Moreover, since this book deals with crush the ideas of a lesser writer/figure than Lu the concept of discourse and the method of ar‐ Xun" (p. 341). Foster "demonstrates the vitality of chaeology, I am surprised to see the omission of the Ah Q discourse during the Cultural Revolution works by Michel Foucault and other postmodern and moreover into the twenty-first century, de‐ theorists in the bibliography. At the very least, for spite political dogma that would crush the ideas the book to be more useful to non-China special‐ of a lesser writer/figure than Lu Xun" (p. 345). ists, the frst chapter should provide more back‐ Some of the unnecessary repetitions might be ground information on modern Chinese literature partly due to the fact that chapters 1, 7, and 8 and history, and situate itself more explicitly with‐ were derived from self-sustaining journal articles.
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