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Why did Rickshaw Boy become a classic novel of modern Chinese literature?

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Scene from Romance of the Three Kingdoms — Chinese literature *Zhang Fei on the Long Sloped Bridge Turning Away One Million Wei Troops with a Powerful Stare*, woodblock colour print by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, 1884. It depicts a scene from the novel *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*.

Luotuo Xiangzi (1936), known in English as Rickshaw Boy or Camel Xiangzi, is considered a classic of modern Chinese literature primarily because it serves as a powerful, moving exploration of the human condition within a harsh social environment.12

While author Lao She was initially celebrated for his humorous and satiric works, this novel marked a significant thematic shift. Rather than focusing on the ability of an individual to overcome corruption, the story depicts the tragic, gradual degeneration of a hardworking, seemingly incorruptible rickshaw puller in Beijing. By chronicling the trials of a man from China’s "lower depths," Lao She illustrates the futility of an individual’s struggle against an oppressive social structure.12

It is important to note that the 1945 English translation titled Rickshaw Boy was an unauthorized, bowdlerized version that altered the original story by adding a happy ending, which was foreign to the author's intent. Despite this, the original work remains a cornerstone of Chinese literature for its vivid characterizations, mastery of the Beijing dialect, and its profound social commentary.12