Exploring the Dilemma of Contemporary Intelligentsia Based on Lu Xun’s Literature: Taking Kong Yiji as an Example

Lu Xun's Kong Yiji reveals the predicament faced by old-type literati after the abolition of the imperial examination system, resonating strongly with contemporary intelligentsia.Today, issues such as the devaluation of qualifications and employment difficulties have once again plunged intelligentsia into an identity crisis.This paper takes Kong Yiji as its starting point, employing textual analysis to systematically examine the complex interplay of Kong Yiji's pedantry and kindness, the cultural symbolism of the "long gown" as a shackle of identity and spirit, the symbolic meaning of cultural decay, and Lu Xun's critical ideas expressed in the text.By comparing the abolition of the imperial examination system in the late Qing Dynasty with the contemporary educational transformation, and tracing the symbolic evolution of the "long gown," this paper reveals contemporary intelligentsia' fixation on "respectable work."It also critiques the ideological constraints of professional hierarchies and the persistent flaws of exam-oriented education.It also offers insights for addressing these issues from both individual and societal perspectives.