Diary of a Madman

Epistolary technique refers to the telling of a story through the use of letters or other documents, such as diary entries or email exchanges. In “Diary of a Madman,” the diary is a device through which the “madman” narrates his perceptions of reality. At the beginning of the story, the “madman” has apparently “recovered” from his mental illness and has taken up another government position. The diary is an artifact through which the reader can access the “madman’s” thoughts, although it limits the aperture through which one can view the narrative’s reality.

The diary forces the reader to examine, analyze, and question the perspective of the “madman.” Although the “madman’s” older brother rejects the diary as delusional, he never presents an alternative version of events. Lu Xun creates a lingering sense of uncertainty around the “madman’s” perceptions, whether or not he sees the world more clearly than his neighbors, and whether he ever had a mental health condition in the first place.

Allusions are references to an object or subject that exists outside the text. They rely on readers’ prior knowledge to enhance emotion or clarify significance. Mr. Gu is an