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“Diary of a Madman” was written in 1835, during the reign of the autocratic tsar Nicholas I. Corrupt bureaucracy and militarism marked this time period in Russian history, with Nicholas I relying on military men to circumvent the normal administration of a kingdom.
- Plot Summary Plot
The Diary of a Madman Summary Next. October 3. Aksenty...
- Summary & Analysis
Aksenty Ivanovich Poprishchin, a low-level clerk, describes...
- Themes
In Nikolai Gogol’s “Diary of a Madman,” the middling civil...
- Quotes
The Diary of a Madman by Nikolai Gogol. PDF Upgrade to A +...
- Characters
Poprishchin, the protagonist of “Diary of a Madman,” is a...
- Symbols
The Diary of a Madman Symbols Next. Ferdinand VIII ....
- Plot Summary Plot
- Defining “Madness”
- Glimmers of Sanity and Reality
- Challenging The Social Order
- Works Cited
First, we should define the words “madness” and “insanity.” Merriam-Webster defines “madness” as “a state of severe mental illness” or “behavior or thinking that is very foolish or dangerous” (“Madness”). In Poprishchin’s case, his ability to hear or see things that nobody else can (Gogol 275) and the fact that he comes to believe that he is the Ki...
The story is written in the form of a diary, and the only point of view we receive is Poprishchin’s. However, he reveals much more to us than the events of the day or his inner thoughts. As he is considered “mad,” we must sort between the ramblings and the truths. In the first diary entry, dated October 3rd, Poprishchin admits that his sudden abili...
Despite all this talk of “madness,” Poprishchin reveals the fallacies of placing immense importance on having and earning rank in Russian society. The Table of Ranks, instituted in 1722 by Peter the Great, was a way to take power away from the ruling classes and give everyone a chance to serve his country and gain status, through civil, military, o...
Altschuler, Eric Lewin. “One of the Oldest Cases of Schizophrenia in Gogol’s “Diary of a Madman.” BMJ: British Medical Journal. 323.7327 (2001): 1475-1477. Web. 22 May 2014. < http://www.jstor.org/stable/25468632>. Galushko, Irina. “Of Russian Origin: Table of Ranks.” Russiapedia. RT.com, n.d. Web. 22 May 2014. < http://russiapedia.rt.com/of-russia...
Nov 21, 2023 · "Diary of a Madman" is about a man who goes mad and believes his fellow towns-people and his brother are cannibals who want to eat him. A narrator shares...
- "Diary of a Madman" by Lu Xun is a political commentary. Lu Xun criticizes the Confucian-based society, calling for a more humanistic culture. To m...
- Cannibalism in "Diary of a Madman" represents Confucian traditionalism in the early 1900s in China. The culture was conservative to the point of vi...
- The main character in "Diary of a Madman" is an unnamed man who goes mad with paranoia. He is the old school friend of the narrator.
- At the beginning of "Diary of a Madman", the older brother tells the narrator that the madman has gotten better and is away for work. He now works...
“Diary of a Madman” is an absurdist comedy about its protagonist’s descent into “madness,” as he is increasingly unable to reconcile his own inflated opinion of himself with his real social position and other people’s understanding of the place he occupies in the world.
This critique underscores Lu Xun's belief that traditional Chinese culture is a system that consumes and oppresses individuals, creating injustice and instability. Lu Xun extends the symbolism of cannibalism to the villagers’ desire to consume the “madman,” who is a government official.
Nikolai Gogol’s “The Diary of a Madman” is an interesting story showing the gradual descent into madness of a Russian man in the 1800s. He believes increasingly bizarre things about himself and...
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Complete summary of Lu Xun's The Diary of a Madman. eNotes plot summaries cover all the significant action of The Diary of a Madman.
