Ah Q Literary Devices

Ah Q is a metaphor for the confusing revolutionary period that took place in China after the fall of the Qing Dynasty. He is a metaphor for everything that was “backward” at this time, and is seen as a rather ironic and satirical character, in order to criticize the changes taking place at the time. He is also a symbol of anonymity, helping to establish that the individual was anonymous during this time period, and that the reforms that were meant to help the ordinary people did not. Ah Q’s story depicts him as an ironic and satirical character, in such situations as where he has his head knocked against something five or six times by idlers, but walked away satisfied that he had won because he was the “foremost self belittler,” and by taking away “self-belittler,” he would left with “foremost,” (Lu Hsun 72).
These victories of Ah Q help to represent what was felt by the common people during the revolutionary time period, that to many it seemed that they were being helped, when in reality many of them were actually being hurt by what was going on. His story is a was meant to be a representation of how the ordinary people were affected by the revolutionary period and the reforms. Ah Q is used as an example of the move toward Western ideas, seen in his name by using the English letter “Q” only. His treatment by the other people in his village also show the treatment many found, especially those from poor rural communities like Ah Q, where Ah Q is criticized for referring to the bench as a “long bench” instead of a “straight bench”, like the other townspeople do, and is always quick to mention that he had been much better off than they (Lu Hsun 70). His story represents the struggle by many felt during this time