“Diary of a Madman” was published at a time of great upheaval in Chinese society, and at a time when intellectuals were considering the weight of history, modernism, and revolution on their society. The New Culture Movement emphasized new ways of thinking about both the past and the present, incorporating new ideas of liberalism, socialism, communism, science, and technology into their worldview. The theme of Evolution and Modernism runs throughout “Diary of a Madman,” which offers a critique not only of Chinese society but of Chinese history as well.    

Lu Xun employs epistolary technique and uses diary entries to blur the boundaries between reality and fantasy. The introduction, wherein the “madman’s” elder brother gives the narrator the diary, is written in classical Chinese—a dialect employed by court officials, historians, and members of the traditional educated elite. However, the diary itself is written in vernacular Chinese, creating a more intimate and accessible depiction of life in a small Chinese town—although translated versions of the story do not and cannot include this linguistic detail.

Through the diary, the reader can directly access the thoughts of the “madman” without any intermediating narrator.