Genesis of Social Satire in Chinese Fiction during 1930s: Lu Xun and Lao She

This study investigates the emergence and development of a new genre system in early twentieth-century Chinese literature. It draws on prose works by prominent writers from modern China to examine their contributions to literary innovation. Comparative analysis is conducted between satirical short stories by Lu Xun (1881–1936) and novels with elements of fantasy by Lao She (1899–1966) and Zhang Tianyi (1906–1985). It demonstrates that the search for novel generic forms occurred within an environment characterized by rejection of traditional artistic consciousness and transition towards individual creativity. The author argues that exposure to foreign literatures, particularly nineteenth-century English authors, influenced these creators' approach to social satire. A theoretical framework for understanding the evolution of this genre is presented, tracing its roots back to eighteenth- and nineteenth-century vernacular fiction. This work contributes significantly to our understanding of literary life in pre-war China through exploring the transformation of genre systems and the birth of hybrid genres combining social critique and fantasy. Its originality lies in being the first Russian Sinological investigation into such processes, thereby enriching comparative studies of Sino-Western literary influences.