In Mao Dun's Midnight, the protagonist Wu Sunfu, an entrepreneur who envisions the establishment of an industrial utopia in his hometown, is disillusioned in the end. The reason for his downfall is that his investment in the stock market fails. On top of that, the women workers in his silk factory go on a strike. His position as the patriarch of the Wu family is also challenged by the betrayal of the female members at home. The novel emphasizes the conflict between father and son, the class struggle between capital and labor, and the awakening of female consciousness. Mao Dun uses the thunderstorm to highlight the force of the women workers' picket line, symbolizing the irresistible power of the revolution led by the working class. Even though the working class is suppressed for the time being, the tide of revolution is impending. The end of the story opens up the vista of the victory of the working class.