Abstract: The immortal image of Ah Q created by LU Xun represents Chinese people’s spirit profoundly. But the national character embodied in Ah Q has been questioned increasingly in the new context of contemporary China. Firstly, national character might alter along with the changes of the environment, which can be proved in the practice of revolution in the liberated areas and ZHAO Shu-li’s works. Secondly, the Western colonialism is hidden in the national character theory, and all peoples in the world, besides Chinese people, have their respective national characters. Thirdly, the national character theory indeed originates from economic backwardness, but they are not necessarily linked. In short, Lu Xun’s Ah Q is still an unsurpassed literary figure, but the fact that the national theory endures for a century essentially reflects modern Chinese intellectuals’ deep economic anxiety in the construction of self-otherness under subjective summons..