When the Villain Steals the Show: il personaggio di Fu Manchu nei romanzi di Sax Rohmer

Abstract

This study investigates the construction of Fu Manchu, the quintessential Asian villain and evil genius born out of the fertile pen of Sax Rohmer, who became the undisputed protagonist of numerous short stories and thirteen novels published between 1913 and 1959. Unquestionably, Fu Manchu is a product of his time: the context in which he was developed was deeply influenced by the widespread fear of the so-called Yellow Peril and the mounting challenges faced by the British Empire, despite its continued expansion. To support the present analysis, examples from the debut novel of the successful series, The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu (1913), will be provided.