Abstract: During the May 4th Movement, intellectual elites with enlightenment spirit advocated the banners of “science,” “democracy” and “individual liberation” while criticizing the traditional patriarchal ethics. By constructing the typical images of “filial son” and “rebellious son” through vivid novel narration, many writers exposed the backward slavish personality with the themes of “reviewing the father” and “killing the father” to thoroughly deconstruct the prison of feudal patriarchal ethics that held the youth captive, thus carrying forward the modern personality spirit of independence and self-respect.

Key words: Modern Chinese novel, image of filial son, image of rebellious son, feudal ethics