Author(s)

Jiayi Wang

Corresponding Author

Jiayi Wang

Abstract

Belinsky hailed "Poor Folk" as Dostoevsky's "first attempt at a social novel"; Fan Jun noted that Lau Shaw "introduced the fate of the urban poor, a social class often overlooked, into the realm of art, and succeeded in doing so...... somewhat similar to what Dostoevsky was to Russian literature of the same period."[1] Comparing Dostoevsky with Lau Shaw is based on the fact that both authors shed light on the inner struggles that existed inside their respective societies and the souls that drove their characters' suffering. The histories, destiny, and characterization strategies of the characters in "Poor Folk" and "Rickshaw" are comparable despite the differences in genres and cultural backgrounds. This study, based on the notion of "Tragic Consciousness," uses the era as a starting point for additional investigation. It concentrates on the viewpoint of "nobody" at the bottom of the hierarchy, peeks into serious social issues, and offers ideas.

Keywords

Nobody; Tragedies; Poor Folk; Rickshaw