Xiadie, a girl with quantum attributes in a virtual world, has to exert her power at the cost of her life. Her “mourning, ripples of the Dead Sea” is not only a skill, but also a mirror, reflecting the real dilemma and spiritual alienation of individuals in contemporary society. Through her short and cyclical life trajectory, we can see how modern people are constantly consumed, how they become victims, and how they fall into a spiritual desert in the high-speed social machine.
1. The alienated status quo of life squeezed by technology and capital
Xiadie’s life was involuntarily “sacrificed” in exchange for a short-term advantage, which is a portrayal of countless workers in real society. Her “quantum attributes” seem to give her unlimited possibilities, but in fact they have become a weapon of exploitation. Modern people seem to have become “quantum particles” controlled by data and algorithms, constantly “killed” and “reborn” in the big machine, while their subjectivity is dying out.
Lu Xun repeatedly described the oppression and alienation of the lower class in “Call to Arms” and “Wandering”. Xiadie’s story is a microcosm of the 21st century: technology has not liberated individuals, but has become a new shackle, hollowing out both the spirit and the body. Her death and rebirth are metaphors for the workers in the “machine production line” being “exhausted” day after day.
2. The absurdity of the beautification of “sacrifice” in modern society
Xiadie’s “sacrifice” is packaged as a noble virtue in the game and is a necessary condition for “team victory”, but in reality, the sacrifice of many people is silently ignored, and even beautified as “dedication”. This beautification is a cruel irony of the individual’s right to survive. The society praises sacrifice on the surface, but in fact deprives the sacrificed of the right to choose their own destiny.
Xianglin Sao, described by Lu Xun in “Blessings”, is a typical image of sacrifice being ruthlessly consumed by society. Xiadie’s sacrifice reminds people of Xianglin Sao’s helpless and miserable fate. They are all used as tools under the pressure of the system and society, and the dignity and value of life are ignored.
3. Spiritual “death” and “resurrection” – the cyclic dilemma of modern people
Xiadie’s skills give her the ability to revive after “death”, but this “cycle” is not salvation, but endless torture. She is trapped in a vicious circle of “death and resurrection” and can never be truly free. This can’t help but remind people of the spiritual rupture and absurdity of modern people: seemingly constantly “reborn” in social competition, but in fact constantly being squeezed and spiritually numb.
Lu Xun once revealed the image of modern people with spiritual exhaustion: they operate like machines, lack self-awareness and freedom, and are empty and confused inside. Xiadie’s cyclic resurrection is a symbol of spiritual death and a profound accusation of modern people’s inability to fight against fate.
4. Sacrifice in the virtual world is a social metaphor in reality
Xiadie’s life is kidnapped by the game mechanism setting, and her “quantum sacrifice” reflects the modern society where virtuality and reality are intertwined. The operation of sacrifice in virtual games reflects the deprivation and alienation of individual rights in real society. Her story reminds us not to be blinded by the prosperity of the virtual world, but to be alert to the silent exploitation and oppression in reality.
Lu Xun’s social criticism is sharp and profound. He would say that the “sacrifice” in the virtual world is the extension of the alienation of human nature and institutional oppression in the real world. The “quantum sacrifice” in the game is nothing more than a microcosm of modern society, and the ruthless crushing of individuals by capital and power structure.
V. Conclusion: Awakening from the spiritual dilemma and social responsibility of Xiadie
Xiadie’s life story is a sad song in the virtual world and a wake-up call for the real society. We see that one “Xiadie” after another is ruthlessly sacrificed in life and alienated into numbers and tools. Lu Xun’s words remind us that we should not get used to “sacrifice” and “consumption”, and we should not be numb to the absurdity of society. Only by awakening, recognizing the cruelty of reality, and taking the unremitting responsibility to change society can life break free from meaningless sacrifice and gain true dignity and freedom.