When discussing essays, we cannot ignore Lu Xun. This great writer abandoned the creation of lengthy novels to focus most of his energy on essays because he valued their responsive, flexible, and incisive nature. Essays are like the nerves of the immune system, the limbs of offense and defense; they are daggers and javelins; capable of killing with a single, sharp blow; they can immediately react and resist harmful things. Some have advised Lu Xun to focus on novels and not essays. Let's see how Lu Xun responded. In the preface to his collection of essays, *Hua Gai Ji*, he wrote: "I think if there are such troublesome prohibitions in the palace of art, it's better not to enter. I'd rather stand in the desert watching the sand and stones fly, laughing loudly when happy, shouting loudly when sad, cursing loudly when angry..." See how bold this is, revealing the true nature of a literary figure.
Unfortunately, decades later, the development of essays has been slow and unsatisfactory. We see that major literary forums are flooded with bland, sentimental romance novels that are wildly popular, while essays, like an unwanted stepchild, hide silently in a corner, rarely noticed or cared for. Is it that our era no longer needs essays, or that essays have become outdated and unable to keep up with the times? The answer is clearly no. In our materialistic age, we not only need essays, but also a large number of powerful essays full of passion and genuine critical spirit. I think if Lu Xun were alive today, perhaps our country would at least have fewer corrupt officials. With Lu Xun's indomitable spirit, those corrupt officials would be utterly humiliated and terrified at the mere thought of plotting something wrong. In this sense, essays can at least play a role in warning and purifying social atmosphere, and our era is sorely lacking in "Lu Xun-style" fighters.
Logically, those most qualified to write essays should be those who wear the hat of "critic," since the essence of essays is primarily criticism. However, how many people in the world can truly be called "critics" in the real sense? Some wear the laurel of "critic" yet write nothing but meaningless praise and flattery, seemingly forgetting their responsibilities. There are actually quite a few such people. For example, we often see writers solemnly holding seminars on their works, gathering a bunch of so-called famous writers and critics to rave about their work, and then it's over. I find it laughable. What kind of groundbreaking masterpiece is so perfect that a seminar is just about discussing empty praise? It's utterly absurd, serving no positive purpose other than increasing publicity. Don't forget who the judges of a work are: the readers. Those truly timeless works are certainly not created through flattery; I doubt anyone would disagree with that.
What I mean by saying this is that so-called critics who dare not even offer criticism of an ordinary work, fearing to offend anyone, how can we expect them to speak out for justice and attack the darkness of society? Can we rely on them to "shoulder the responsibility of upholding
morality and write brilliant articles"? I think it's highly unlikely! Since those social elites are so hesitant to maintain their halos, shouldn't we ordinary people take up the weapon of essays to fight against the evils in society? I believe we can. Although we are of humble status, we also have a fervent love for our country and our nation. We write essays hoping that our society will have less falsehood and ugliness and more truth, goodness, and beauty. Although we are just commoners and have no influence, I still hope that more ordinary people who love writing will join the ranks of essayists, producing less frivolous talk and more writing that criticizes current affairs and promotes righteousness, because our era needs the latter more. As the
saying goes, "Constant dripping wears away a stone; a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." As long as more and more people realize the importance of essays, why worry about their future prosperity? If so, Mr. Lu Xun would surely rest in peace.
In conclusion, I think our purpose in writing essays is quite clear: to criticize current malpractices, condemn evil, and promote righteousness. Ordinary people feel no pressure writing essays and can speak freely, which seems to be more profound than the essays written by celebrities. From this perspective, I personally believe that it is far more reliable for us, the grassroots, to inherit and carry forward Mr. Lu Xun's legacy than for social elites and celebrities.
Therefore, for essays, we should not fear sharpness, depth, or incisiveness. What we should fear is timidity and confusion!
In fact, discovering and praising beauty allows our souls to be cultivated and sublimated through the experience of beauty; discovering, praising, and deeply loving beauty enables us to distinguish right from wrong and to condemn ugliness!
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