- 著者
-
王 竹
- 出版者
- 桃山学院大学
- 雑誌
- 人間文化研究 (ISSN:21889031)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- no.3, pp.121-145, 2015-10-27
In Chapter 21 of the Dream of the Red Chamber, after directly quoting the Quejia-pian section of Zhuangzi 荘子, Cao Xueqin 曹雪芹creates an unconventional scene by having the hero Jia Bao-yu 賈宝玉write a continuation of the section. Though less than 1000 words in length, the sequel keeps the original style of the Quejia-pian. It not only shows us how much the hero loves the Zhuangzi, but also the extent to which Zhuangzi pervades Jia Bao-yu's daily life. Analyzing the sequel section in the light of Jia Bao-yu's `three serious illnesses' in Chapter 21, we can clearly know what the hero thinks in his heart, and that all three `illnesses' come from his love for Zhuangzi. Moreover, reading Chapter 22, we find that Jia Bao-yu continues to write the sequel, a symbol of his long-lasting pursuit of the absolute freedom espoused by the Zhuangzi. By having his hero write a sequel to the Quejia-pian section, Cao Xueqin tells readers more effectively how much the hero longs for the perfect world of Zhuangzi, and how similar their two lifestyles are. This scene may be said to be the most important in the entire novel for understanding how Zhuangzi's ideals provide the basis for the hero's values, his way of thinking, and his world view (and, by extension, for those of Cao Xueqin himself).