Reply to the Telegram of the Shandong Provincial Literary Association[1]

(February 8, 1944)

Although Lu Xun borrowed the literal classical allusion of "the pointing fingers of a thousand men," its meaning has completely changed. Your interpretation[2] is inappropriate.

[1] This is the main content of the telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central General Study Committee in reply to the Shandong Provincial Literary Association's request for an explanation of the meaning of "the pointing fingers of a thousand men" in Lu Xun's poem.

[2] The telegram from the Shandong Provincial Literary Association to the Central General Study Committee on January 24 stated: "In Chairman Mao's Talks at the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art, two lines from a poem by Lu Xun are quoted. The first line, 'Fierce-browed, I coolly defy a thousand pointing fingers,' interprets 'a thousand men' as the enemy. However, upon a careful reading of the classical allusion used in the original poem, 'a thousand pointing fingers' seems to be 'pointed at by a thousand accusing fingers, one dies even without illness.' If so, then 'a thousand men' are the masses, and the fellow pointed at by a thousand accusing fingers is the enemy. Although such an interpretation does not contradict the spirit of Chairman Mao's speech, the interpretation of 'a thousand men' is exactly the opposite. We request Chairman Mao to clarify by telegram."