A Dream in Red Mansions, A Dream in Love
By shirly on 2016-04-14

A Dream in Red Mansions, as one of the four major classic novels in China, has its unshakable status. It is a novel based on a noble family in Qing Dynasty and about decay of the family. It tells tragic love story between Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, combined with political and aesthetic value, reaching the peak of novel filed in Qing Dynasty. Thus it becomes a classic novel that has most influence and popularity among specialists of the four major classic novels in China.

The story begins with the lengendary origin of the hero and heroine ---- Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu. Jia, born with a jade in his mouth, is the immortal Shenying’s attendant. By coincidence, he waters the Jiangzhu Immortal Grass, which later becomes Lin. Out of gratitude, Lin, at that time the Immortal Grass, decides to make up for his kindness. So she is reincarnated as Lin Daiyu, using her tears to repay his kindness. Until she drops out of her last tears, her life also deceases. This preface, generally introduceing the previous life of the characters, has implies the tragic experience of the young couple.

From very beginning, Lin Daiyu is sent to Rong Mansion, the home of her grandmother and it is there does she firt meet Jia Baoyu. At the first sight, they have stange feelings with each other. And during their long accompany and communication, they grandually fall in love with each other. However, for the benefit of the family, Jia’s mother, Madam Wang, forces him to marry to Xue Baochai, a young lady from a rich family. This is a really strike to Lin, the girl in bad health condition and weak psychological endurance. She immediatelly catches an illness and is annoyed to spit out blood. She is so weak that on the day of Jia and Xue’s wedding, she burns all her poets and pass away from illness. Hearing the death of Lin, Baoyu loses his jade, turns to be crazy and stupid, and gradually also catches with illness. He becomes worse and worse day after day. Finally, a monk finds his jade and sends it to him. Then he recovers. But he has seen through everything and becomes a monk.

It is the main line of the story, but except the love story between the couple, tha fate of this feudal noble family is actually the main theme of this family. In this novel, the description of the luxury of the family in its peak time composes a shark contrast to its dilemma when it turns to low ebb. The most significant scene is on the Lantern Festival, when the eldest daugher of the family, Jia Yuanchun, who has become regal concubine at that time, goes back home to visit her relatives. The family, to welcome their exalted daughter, build a so extravagant mansion for her that she is even surprised. But later, when she dies in the imperial palace, the family immediately falls into decay.

These two are the main stories, but the fate of the twelve ladies also consist the subline of the story. At the beginning of the story, Jia Baoyu, the hero of the story, goes to the Great Void Dreamland when he is sleeping and sees the verdicts of the twelve ladies in it, which imply their fate and experience. The twelve lady, although all with good looking or brilliant talents, are no exception of miserable ending. Almost all of them at last die of illness or torture. This sets the sad tone of this novel and pave the way for their later bad ending.

This novel, with delicate depiction and and exquisite protrayal, marks the splendid accomplishment of Chinse literature. Its social and political influence is far-reaching and profound, deserving repeated appreciation and digestion.