The following is a response to "A Dream of Red Mansions for 200 Autumns, and the opinions of the public have not ended. The most spectacle is the hairpin, grinding the skin of the mouth and moving the fist. "A re-creation of this paragraph:
Since the birth of "Dream of Red Mansions" more than 200 years ago, the interpretation and controversy about it have never stopped. Among them, the dispute between the advantages and disadvantages of the two roles of Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu is particularly eye-catching. As recorded by the Qing dynasty Zou Tao in "Three Borrowed Lu Pen Talks", he and his friend Xu Boqian had endless arguments and even almost fought because of their different views on Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai. This kind of fierce controversy is rare in the history of China.
Since Cao Xueqin arranged Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu in the same sentence, they have been placed in endless contrast. And Cao Gong's use of light and dark, true and false, and mixed praise and disapproval make people's evaluation of the two more confusing, but they can't stop.
We had an in-depth discussion about Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu. By comparing their image, character, fate, etc., we can get a glimpse of Cao Xueqin's different attitudes towards them. Although in the text, the author does not directly express his evaluation of hairpin and dai, but those hidden hints and details are enough to make us taste again and again.
In addition to the protagonists Hai and Dai, the other characters in "Dream of Red Mansions" also have their own characteristics. As one of the four major families in Jinling, the Xue family is inextricably linked with the other three. The fate of these four families, like other characters in "Dream of Red Mansions", was involved in that prosperous dream, and finally came to their own tragic endings. Through Leng Zixing's mouth, the author gave a brief description of the generations of the Jia family, but did not describe the Wang family and the historian in detail.
Regarding the Xue family, there is a direct description in the fourth chapter. It is worth noting that the author does not pay attention to the Wang family and the historians among the four major families, but specifically mentions the historical background of the Lin family. The text describes the Lin family: Lin Ruhai's ancestors have inherited the position of liehou for five generations. Originally, it was only the third generation, but due to the current emperor's Longen Shengde, he was able to far surpass the previous generation, and the father of the sea was additionally blessed to another generation. As for Ruhai himself, he was born through the imperial examination.
Although it is a noble Zhong Ding family, it is also a scholarly family that pays attention to cultural accomplishment. The fourth generation of the Lin family inherited the liehous, and when he was like the sea, he was born on the right path by virtue of his own strength. This not only shows the Lin family's illustrious family background as the Jia family, but also adds the characteristics of the scholarly family on the basis of Zhong Mingding's food. It is particularly noteworthy the word "scholarly", which is the ideal realm pursued by many wealthy relatives. For example, the Jia family has been striving to enter the government through the imperial examination since the beginning of the literary generation, in order to transform into a scholarly family, but only Jia Jing succeeded and gave up halfway.
Looking at the Xue family again, the fourth chapter describes the basic situation of this family. The Xue family was originally a scholarly family, but due to the early death of Xue Pan's father, his widowed mother doted on and connived, causing him to become a gangster who did not learn and did not know how to learn. Although he also went to school, he didn't know much literacy, and he only knew how to fight cocks and play in the mountains and rivers all day long. Therefore, the Xue family's "scholarly succession home" has become a thing of the past, and now it can only be called "this is". This is no longer the case. Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai's family backgrounds are in stark contrast, the Lin family has been scholarly for generations, ranking first in the "Shinong Industry and Commerce" of that era, and the Xue family is not only at the bottom, but also includes a family member who is idle and uneducated. The author's preference is beginning to emerge.
Before Daiyu first stepped into the mansion, the author described the background and family members of the Lin family in detail, revealing Lin Daiyu's extraordinary features through Jia Yucun's mouth. This technique is not uncommon in literature, and the main characters are often carefully laid out to make a lasting impression before they make their debut. For example, Zhuge Liang's appearance in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is arranged in this way.
Dream of Red Mansions pays special attention to Lin Daiyu and Jia Baoyu. In the third episode, Daiyu enters the mansion, and the author vividly depicts the interior and exterior of the Ningrong Second Mansion that she came into contact with through her perspective. From Daiyu's abandonment of the boat and landing on the shore and entering the capital, to the external landscape of Ning Mansion and Rong Mansion, to the residence of Jia's mother, the courtyard of Jia Yu, the residence of Jia Zheng, etc., every building is clear and clear, as if vividly.
When Daiyu's sedan chair arrived at Jia's mother's courtyard, a large group of girls were already waiting there. They lifted the curtain and said, "The old lady is talking about you, but you are here." This sentence fully shows Jia's mother's expectations for Daiyu. Subsequently, Daiyu met with all her relatives and friends one by one. Soon after, Wang Xifeng also appeared. The author meticulously depicts the appearance, expression, clothing, and posture of these characters in Daiyu's eyes, covering all aspects. In the eyes of everyone, although Daiyu is still young, her demeanor is extraordinary, although her body is a little weak, but she naturally exudes a unique style. Wang Xifeng praised Daiyu as "such a standard figure in the world", while Jia Baoyu thought she was a "fairy-like sister".
Jia Baoyu's appearance is quite similar to Daiyu. In the second episode, he was also mentioned through Leng Zixing's mouth. When Daiyu meets Madame Wang, the rendering of Baoyu reappears, paving from far to near, from the outside to the inside, and finally through Daiyu's perspective, which undoubtedly reflects the author's ingenious conception.
In "Dream of Red Mansions", Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, Wang Xifeng and Xue Baochai are the four core characters. Each of them has a unique character and destiny that together form the soul of this great work of literature. Ok, here's a full rephrasing of the given text:
When the three characters in the third episode appear in different ways, the author's description seems unusually deliberate and serious. So, how does the author portray another important figure, her debut? In the fourth round, the Xue family moved their family to Beijing, and when the family came to report, the Xue family had already gotten off outside the Rongfu Gate. Mrs. Wang and her daughter-in-law came out to greet them, and the sisters' meeting in their twilight years was naturally a mixture of joy and sorrow, crying and laughing. Later, he recommended them to meet Jia's mother and gave them favors and local goods as a reward. When the family had seen each other, they welcomed each other with a feast.
After the Xue family arrived at Jiafu, they also needed to meet Jia's mother and others, and this procedure was the same as when Daiyu entered the mansion. However, compared with Daiyu's detailed description, the author's description of Baochai is extremely brief, and does not even give her a decent appearance. In addition to the author's preferences for the two, it is difficult to find a more reasonable explanation for such an arrangement and description.
In terms of residence arrangement, on the day Lin Daiyu entered the house, Jia's mother moved Baoyu's bed out and let Daiyu sleep in Baoyu's original house. Baoyu and Daiyu's beds are only separated by a blue gauze cupboard, which is the highest treatment in Rongfu. And what about Baochai? According to the author's description of Baochai's words when he entered the mansion, he should not explain too much about the Xue family's residence arrangements. However, this time it was unexpected, the author revealed some information about the residence through the conversation between Aunt Xue and Xue Pan in advance.
Aunt Xue said that they had several houses in Kyoto, but they chose to live in Jia's house because Jia's house was extremely cheap. Despite Xue Pan's repeated objections, they did not make any concessions. This makes people feel that the Xue family living in Jia Mansion should also be received by a considerable standard. However, this is not the case. The article wrote that Jia Zheng sent someone to tell Mrs. Wang: "There are more than ten rooms in Lixiangyuan in the northeast corner of our house, which are idle and cleaned, and my aunt and sister and brother live very well." "It can be seen that the house that the Xue family lives in has been idle for many years, and it is not as high-standard reception as we thought.
Whether this courtyard was once a resting place for Rong Guogong, or it is small and exquisite, it has been idle for many years. What's even more interesting is that the name of this courtyard is "Rixiangwon", which gives people the feeling of a pear orchard. Before Concubine Yuan's relatives, Jiafu arranged for a group of actors to live in Lixiangyuan, while the Xue family moved elsewhere.
These actors had a humble social status at the time and were regarded as pariahs. For example, Aunt Zhao once pointed at Fang Guan and scolded: "The third-class servants in my family are also nobler than you." However, what is surprising is that the author actually let the Xue family and the drama live in the same residence. The deep meaning behind this can't help but make people think deeply.
After living in the Grand View Garden, the author once again expressed his preferences through the arrangement of the residence of the two. He gave Daiyu the right of first choice, and finally Daiyu lived in the Xiaoxiang Pavilion with towering bamboos, while Baochai could only live in the Wuyuan Garden, which had no flowers and trees, and the garden was full of vines. Since ancient times, the green bamboo is a symbol of lonely and high-spirited, transcendent and elegant, and high-winded and bright, while the vines of the Wuyuan Garden are climbing the stone and attaching the wall, pulling left and right, just like opportunistic and waiting for the opportunity to drill the camp. The author's intentions are obvious.
It can be seen that the author is not without subjectivity when writing his words, and he incorporates his own views in a subtle way. Readers need to savor it carefully to grasp the deep meaning. Through these examples, we can appreciate the author's painstaking solitude. Although the love between Lin Daiyu and Jia Baoyu is doomed to fail, and although the "Golden Jade Good Relationship" is ultimately successful, Baoyu's heart is always tied to Lin Daiyu. Such an arrangement seems to imply the author's "punishment" of Xue Baochai. Lin Daiyu maintained her innocence, while Xue Baochai was tormented. This attitude of favoritism makes one wonder about the author's intentions.