The diary reveals that he suffered a "persecution complex", and became suspicious of everyone's actions, including people's stares, a doctor's treatment, his brother's behavior, and even dogs barking.

Reading a history book, the "madman" saw the words "eat people" written between the lines, as commentary placed in classical Chinese texts.

As his "madness" progressed, he experiences psychosis thinking the villagers are attempting to force him into suicide, that his brother ate his sister and that he might have done so as well.

The story is not just a depiction of a man suffering from mental illness with the delusion of being eaten but rather a symbol of the cannibalistic nature of Chinese customs and society wrapped up in the veneer of Confucianism.

The story also emphasises how the madman is imprisoned both in his home and trapped psychologically in his mind, symbolising Chinese society's inability to escape its backward traditional and feudalistic roots.

[7] Because China was built upon and continued to be informed by Confucian morality and principles over long stretches of history, concepts such as democracy, individualism, natural rights and freedom of thought did not exist and therefore faced difficulties taking root within the Chinese psyche.

Another chilling example is the use of "medical science" to legitimise and perpetuate the existing oppressive feudal systems instead of curing diseases of the mind and body.

[11] Political instability dominated the young yet fractured republic nominally led by Sun-Yat Sen and considerable debate existed about future political direction which the country should take.The massive ensuing social changes remarkably shifted the development of Chinese literature and formed the development of a linguistic system known as baihua.

His most instrumental work, "Diary of a Madman", reflects contemporary issues and social structure revolving around the society of republican era China after the collapse of the Qing dynasty.

At this time, Confucian values still influenced Chinese culture strongly with rules and social hierarchy being held as superior to the rights of the individual.

Lu Xun's attempts to cure the cultural malaise which exists in traditional Chinese society through his writings were not easily embraced.

Overall, Lu Xun's work serves as an account of historical change in republican era China and biting social criticism towards issues which still hold relevance in Chinese society today.