Prior to or following the writing of Yaso (『野草』Wild Grass), Lu Xun took an interest in Hakuson Kuriyagawa and translated his Kumon no Shocho (『苦悶の象徴』 Symbol of Anguish) and Zoge no Towo Dete (『象牙の塔を出て』 Leaving the Ivory Tower). Through these translations Lu Xun came to agree with Hakuson's view of literature and absorbed it on his own terms. This point is clear in the criticisms, essays, and prefaces which he wrote at this time. We can see the influence of Hakuson’s literature and theory of dreams on the style and technique used in Yaso. Furthermore, Hakuson’s criticism of Soseki must have attracted the attention of Lu Xun who also had an interest in Soseki. When we think about the connection between Yaso and Soseki’s Yume Juya (『夢十夜』 Ten Nights’ Dreams), it can be seen that Hakuson’s criticism of Soseki was an inspiring intermediary for the author.
In this paper I will illustrate two points: Lu Xun’s view of Hakuson and his interest in Soseki via Hakuson. For this purpose, I will employ an analysis of the translations of Kumon no Shocho and Zoge no To wo Dete, the prefaces and afterwords of these translations, papers written at this time, Yaso, and so forth.
