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Tsing Hua Journal of Chinese Studies
ISSN 0577-9170; DOI 10.6503/THJCS

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On Lin Tai-yu: Red Chamber Dream and the Fairytales of Goddesses

Vol. 32 No. 1&2   3/2001  

Title

On Lin Tai-yu: Red Chamber Dream and the Fairytales of Goddesses

Author

Yuh-wen Kuo

Genre

Article  

Pages

101-133

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Language

Chinese

Key words

goddess, nature, love, water

Abstract

      This paper attempts to explore the relationships between Lin Tai-yu, the heroine of Red Chamber Dream, and the goddesses in Chinese fairytales and folk stories since the earliest days. We want to prove that Tai-yu is a model character reflecting the true, the good and the beautiful of life. Moreover, the research finds that the narrative and lyric traditions are joined together in Red Chamber Dream.

We could make the discussion from three aspects:

1. The myths of “yao-grass” (a fabulous plant of fairy land) and the goddess of Mountain Wu: Lin Tai-yu, dying unmarried maintains an image or virgin, a pure young lady, forever.

2. The delicate and touching young goddess in the Mountain Spirit of the Nine Songs and the tender and graceful goddess of Mounta in Ku-yeh in Chuang-Tzu: Tai-yu, simple and pure, is fallen in love desperately and suffered bitterly.

3. The Prince and the Lady of the Hsiang River in the Nine Songs: love is a process of eternal search and pursuit; so Chia Pao-yu and Lin Tai-yu cannot unite in marriage and there is no happy ending in red Chamber Dream.

 

 

Author: Yuh-wen Kuo
Genre: Article
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