Kong Yiji

Kong Yiji-孔乙己

Lu Xun
Author	Lu Xun
Original title	孔乙己
Language	Chinese
Published	April 1919

"Kong Yiji" (Chinese: 孔乙己; pinyin: Kǒng Yǐjǐ) is a short-story by Lu Xun, a leading figure in modern Chinese literature. The story was originally published in the journal New Youth (Chinese: 新青年) in April 1919 and was later included in Lu Xun's first collection of short stories, Call to Arms (Chinese: 吶喊).^[1] The story's narrator reminisces about Kong Yiji, a pedantic scholar who became the laughing-stock of the tavern where the narrator worked. His character embodies the plight of many low-class scholars, who, despite being members of the upper-class, studied the classics for many years but continuously failed to pass the civil service examination. Like Kong Yiji, these scholars were subjected to other people’s indifference and ridicule.^[2] The story critiques pre-modern China’s imperial examination system which produced people like Kong Yiji. In March 2023, the song, “Happy Sunshine Kong Yiji”, was produced by Chinese netizens to satirize the issue of unemployment faced by many Chinese youth. The song, which was based on the story, has been used as a meme by unemployed Chinese youth, who see themselves as modern versions of Kong Yiji.^[3]