"Diary of a Poor Scholar" is a sad realist novel. In the form of the protagonist's diary record, it shows the sinking and helplessness of a lower-class intellectual in a turbulent society. As a teacher, Han Xiaocun struggled to survive amidst poverty and illness. His wife Wei had long-term tuberculosis and had no money for treatment. She borrowed money everywhere and asked for immortality, and finally died of the illness. The novel shows the moral dilemma of a lower-class literati in a moneyed society through the continuous misfortunes such as rent, summons, and mother's death.
