A Dream of Red Chamber and Chinese Philosophy of Life
Name:Liu Peng Student ID: S08444
Research paper supervisor:Dr.Sekou Conde
Minzu University of China
2008-2009 Academic Year
Abstract："A Dream of Red Chamber" reflects the feelings of existence and experience of life from the height down ontology of life. It reveals the different living attitudes and methods of the people of the late feudal society. At the same time it states the author’s concept of life and death, being value and perception of life after he experienced a rise or decline life. This paper will analyze "A Dream of Red Chamber" from life philosophy. The purpose of writing is to explore the view of life, view of value and modern values.
Key words: A Dream of Red Chamber; Philosophy of life; Today’s value
"A Dream of Red Chamber"，as one of China's Four Classical Novels，Has been studied by a large number of Chinese and foreign scholars from different points of view. But the previous scholars almost researched it from literature and art. There were so few people researched "A Dream of Red Chamber "from philosophy views, especially from the philosophy of life. I believe that the philosophy of life in "A Dream of Red Chamber" is a vivid reflection of social reality at that time. The view of life, view of value has important directive function for Chinese modern society.
"A Dream of Red Chamber" reviews life use sad tone and blood tearful eyes. It reflects the whole society from the small "Grand View Garden". It reveals the different living attitudes and methods of different people. At the same time it states the author’s concept of life and death, being value and perception of life after he experienced a rise or decline life. "A Dream of Red Chamber" reflects the feelings of existence and experience of life from the height down ontology of life. “Pages full of absurd words, Soaked with bitter tears. All say he is a fool in love, But who his message hears!”[1] Cao Xueqin is leading people to taste such philosophy of life which contains tears and bloods.
Knowing the meaning of life by death, dwelling in the land poetically
At the beginning of Jia Xu version of "A Dream of Red Chamber", it gives us a philosophical reflection: What do you spend your transient life in rushing about? There is no banquet lasting forever, At last every luxurious feast would spread over. That is, what do human always pursue? Why do people live in the world? Perhaps the question may think about through the ages. In addition, "luxurious banquet would be finished at last" this sentence points out the author’s attitude for life. Then, all the luxurious banquets would be finished at the end; all the good things eventually must be over. Why do people live so busy in the world, what do they pursuit for? In the NO.63 chapter of "A Dream of Red Chamber", Miao Yu said to Xing Youyan, “There were not good poet Since the Han, Jin, the Five Dynasties, Tang and Song dynasties, only Fan Chengda made two sentences good poet. That is,” even if we have the Millennium Rail, Threshold will have to be a steamed soil”.[2] This poet tells us that everyone eventually must face the death. There is no escape, even if you are a wealthy upper class of society. "A Dream of Red Chamber" is closely focusing on the issue of how to live when you know the last death. In other words, people living in this world will eventually change from owning to losing, how to people prepare for the last none. Further said that in the end of life what should people do? What is the most meaningful thing for people living in the world? [3]Following that the author gave the answer of the question in A Dream of Red Chamber.
In the 27 chapter of "A Dream of Red Chamber", when Jia Baoyu heard Lin Daiyu recite the poet “Today, I bury the flowers, but others laugh at me. Tomorrow I do not know who will berry me. The youth will leave me at the end of spring. When the flowers are withered, I will be dead at same time”. He fall down the hillside suddenly, the flowers in his arms scattered on the ground. It showed that he was shocked by how much, obviously he very concerned about Lin Daiyu’s losing. He wanted to live with Lin, in his eyes Lin Daiyu was the most important. It also reflected that a loved one alive would make meaning of life, living with the loved one is the best reason for life.[4] Once all the loved women are separated to make death, it will be grounds for loss of life, even alive his life has become meaningless. So we can understand why Jia Baoyu became a Buddhist monk at last.
Undeniably, the loved girls in "Grand View Garden"n is the reason of exist and his life sustenance. Precisely this point reflects the existence of life Jia Baoyu. Since in the end everything would be lose, disappear, and dead, why not choose your own way which you like, why not choose "the public type like others and untrue existence. Jia Baoyu’s various acts of treason just based on the choice of the value of life. In the book of "A Dream of Red Chamber" Jia is straightforward. He ignores the world works, and does not read the article and does not seek fame. He is just as a genuine blazer who seeks one kind of pure idealism and pursues the truth of life. This is the ideals of life which author pursuits hardly, just as Heidegger said that people should nestle in the earth poetically.[5] And the author designs poetic country, Grand View Garden. But at last he understood that poetic country was only one dream which couldn’t become real. "A Dream of Red Chamber" is a downright tragedy, because it is a poetic elegy of life and it destructs the most valuable poetic ideals and emotions.” [6]The major role just like Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu and other girls almost had tragic result. They are either dead or being slave. The author cried for the loved women, all these beauty, poetic and casual person and the fate of death constitutes the profound sorrow and tragedy of A Dream of Red Chamber.
In search for the value of life from emotion and love
"Love" is always one of the main through the "A Dream of Red Chamber". However, the author’s purpose was not only talking about love. He wanted to find one non-utilitarian value which was reflected by the core of the feeling of Bao Dai. Furthermore exploring the answer search for the answer of the question what is the value of life.
Bao Dai's love is theme of "A Dream of Red Mansions". In front of Jia Baoyu there were two different options. Xue Baochai was one choice who always complied with the orders. Lin Daiyu was another choice who had rebellious spirit and pursuit love bravely. But at last he looked spirit more important than body, of course he chose Lin Daiyu. Although Xue Baochai married to him, in his heart bottom he cherished the sister Lin and nobody could instead of her. At the same time, Lin Daiyu was also a infatuated girl, when she heard the news of Jia Baoyu would marry with Xue Baochai she cut consumption and burnt off the poet draft and over own life eventually. When the loved girl disappeared in the world Jia Baoyu lost the reason of living even though he had the beautiful wife Xue Baochai. Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu have the same fate although Lin was dead and Jia was living. They all lost the loved objects. What prompted them to make the same choices in life are achieving the common values of life, and pursuit of true love and rebel the idea of secular strongly.
The affection in "A Dream of Red Chamber" was not only reflected in the love but also reflected in the feeling to other people and things. Jia Baoyu was born in a noble and Intellectuals family, in the Grand View Garden he was young master, but he was not a master in real life, he always played with servants and maids, he could card hair for She Yue , tear fan accompany Qing Wen, changeed pomegranate skirt for Xiang Ling etc. Furthermore he made emotional poem named daughter of hibiscus to hold a memorial ceremony for Qing Wen’s death, he praised a servant girl as angels, that feeling which ignored hierarchy was so rare in the feudal society. It needs [...]
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