Difference and Diversity: A Comparative Study of Hu Shi's and Lu Xun's Research on Water Margin

Both Hu Shi()and Lu Xun()conducted considerable research and evaluations on Water Margin()and its major sequels. Various factors, such as historical context and personal perspectives, contributed to the divergence in their views. Hu Shi distinguished between Water Margins utility in the New Literature Movement and its ideological content. While he elevated Water Margins status as "vernacular" literature, he did not endorse certain ideological aspects within the text. Lu Xun, on the other hand, affirmed the revolutionary spirit in Water Margin but criticized its incompleteness and feudal characteristics. The contrasting evaluations of the same text by Hu Shi and Lu Xun in the same era stem from their differing perspectives and positions.