Title

Dream of the Red Chamber and the Myths of the Goodness─On Qin Ke-qing

Author

Yuh-wen Kuo

Genre

Article  

Pages

425-455

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Language

Chinese

Key words

goddess, dreamland, affection, enlightenment, degeneration

Abstract

   This paper presents part of my serial research on the relationships between thenovel Dream of the Red Chamber and the myths of the goddesses. It tries to compare Qin Ke-qing and the Tai-XU dreamland with the Great Mother Goddess Nu-Wa and with the goddesses and fairylands in rhapsodies such as Li-Sao and Gao-Tang Fu and other fairyland stories.

    Qin Ke-qing is one of the most controversial characters in the studies of Dream of the Red Chamber. Some scholars criticize her and some praise her. No final conclusion has yet been reached. But her image becomes clearer if we see from the viewpoint of the myths of the goddesses. Qin plays a very important role in the novel. Both the Fairy Maiden Jing-huan and her sister Jian-mei are personifications of Qin Ke-qing. Cao Xue-qin, the author, give full plays to the qing (affection) represented by Qin: affection that is adorable, lovable, and contemptible.