Cao Xueqin: The Story of the Stone (Volume D)

Cao Xueqin The image is a statue of Cao Xueqin in suburban Beijing. Cao Xueqin came from a Han Chinese family, but his ancestors had been forced into service by the Manchus, who had conquered China and set up the Qing Dynasty. Individuals in several generations of the Cao family served as the prominent Imperial Textile Commissioner in Nanjing, but the family wealth was confiscated, likely due to political intrigue, with the new emperor, and the family relocated to Beijing. Xueqin not only wrote but supported himself by selling his paintings. The image is a statue of Cao Xueqin in suburban Beijing.

Qing Dynasty Qing Dynasty ruled China until the Republican revolution of 1911. Qing intellectual culture rejected the radical individualism of the later Ming, when personal freedom had been celebrated at the expense of social responsibility. They treated sacred texts as historical documents. In 1644, Manchu armies from the northeast descended into China and established the The image is from a caricature (September 1792) by James Gillray, in which Lord Macartney’s embassy to China is rejected because he fails to follow the proper etiquette for prostration.

Confucius Jia Baoyu has little interest in learning the Confucian Classics. moral education: poetry both as a beautiful thing that pleases humans and as an instructive, serious source of knowledge and understanding Daoism - the reluctance to commit his ideas to writing may show Confucius’s Daoist thinking, which sometimes doubts the reliability of written and spoken words Classic of Poetry - Confucius importantly emphasizes proper thought and encourages all moral learning through study of the Classic of Poetry.

Dreams versus Reality The focus on dreams is apparent in the alternate English translation of its title, Dream of the Red Chamber. It is also obvious in that the family name, “Jia,” is a homophone for a Chinese word meaning “false,” while “Zheng,” the name of another prominent family in the novel, is a homophone for “real.” The Zheng clan apparently was meant to be a mirror of the Jia clan and to have a more prominent role later in the novel, but this story was largely lost when Cao Xueqin died, leaving the novel unfinished. Given this context, the reader should pay attention to the interplay between the fantasy frame narrative and the realistic main narrative. The image is a painting from a series of brush paintings by the Qing Dynasty artist Sun Wen, depicting scenes from The Story of the Stone (19th century).

Dreams versus Reality The family name, “Jia,” is a homophone for a Chinese word meaning “false,” while “Zheng,” the name of another prominent family in the novel, is a homophone for “real.” Pay attention to the interplay between the fantasy frame narrative and the realistic main narrative. The focus on dreams is apparent in the alternate English translation of its title, Dream of the Red Chamber. It is also obvious in that the family name, “Jia,” is a homophone for a Chinese word meaning “false,” while “Zheng,” the name of another prominent family in the novel, is a homophone for “real.” The Zheng clan apparently was meant to be a mirror of the Jia clan and to have a more prominent role later in the novel, but this story was largely lost when Cao Xueqin died, leaving the novel unfinished. Given this context, the reader should pay attention to the interplay between the fantasy frame narrative and the realistic main narrative. The image is a painting from a series of brush paintings by the Qing Dynasty artist Sun Wen, depicting scenes from The Story of the Stone (19th century).

Prospect Garden Gardens are frequently used in literature as spaces that offer refuge from the rest of the world, such as the gardens at the beginning and end of Candide. The Prospect Garden serves this function, as it is a place of refuge for Jia Baoyu and his female cousins. It is a place in which Jia Baoyu can play with his cousins and engage in his love of poetry and art without the disapproving interference of his father. It represents a liminal space between the “real” world and the metaphysical world that Jia Baoyu and Daiyu come from. In chapter 17, we can see Jia Baoyu’s discomfort as he is forced to spend time with his father and the other men and his relief when he is allowed to return to Daiyu and the female cousins. The image is a painting from a series of brush paintings by the Qing Dynasty artist Sun Wen, depicting scenes from The Story of the Stone (19th century).

What other important gardens in Literature can you recall?

Prospect Garden Gardens offer refuge from the rest of the world. The Prospect Garden serves this function, as it is a place of refuge for Jia Baoyu and his female cousins. It is a place in which Jia Baoyu can play with his cousins and engage in his love of poetry and art without the disapproving interference of his father. It represents a liminal space between the “real” world and the metaphysical world that Jia Baoyu and Daiyu come from. Gardens are frequently used in literature as spaces that offer refuge from the rest of the world, such as the gardens at the beginning and end of Candide. The Prospect Garden serves this function, as it is a place of refuge for Jia Baoyu and his female cousins. It is a place in which Jia Baoyu can play with his cousins and engage in his love of poetry and art without the disapproving interference of his father. It represents a liminal space between the “real” world and the metaphysical world that Jia Baoyu and Daiyu come from. In chapter 17, we can see Jia Baoyu’s discomfort as he is forced to spend time with his father and the other men and his relief when he is allowed to return to Daiyu and the female cousins. The image is a painting from a series of brush paintings by the Qing Dynasty artist Sun Wen, depicting scenes from The Story of the Stone (19th century).

Jade Symbolism Jade represents nobility, beauty, grace, and purity. Due to its connection to beauty, jade is typically a symbol associated with women, so it is appropriate that the effeminate Jia Baoyu is born with a piece of jade in his mouth left over from the magical jade stone that he originally was. Both Jia Baoyu’s and Daiyu’s names are derived from the Chinese word for jade, “yu,” which is also a pun on the word for desire, prefiguring Jia Baoyu and Daiyu’s romance. Jade is a frequently used symbol in Chinese culture and literature, representing nobility, beauty, grace, and purity. Due to its connection to beauty, jade is typically a symbol associated with women, so it is appropriate that the effeminate Jia Baoyu is born with a piece of jade in his mouth left over from the magical jade stone that he originally was. Jia Baoyu wears the stone around his neck until the end of the story, when it is broken and he disappears. In addition, both Jia Baoyu’s and Daiyu’s names are derived from the Chinese word for jade, “yu,” which is also a pun on the word for desire, prefiguring Jia Baoyu and Daiyu’s romance. The image is a photograph of a Buddha’s hand citron, made in nephrite jade (ca. 1800). Qing Dynasty. Housed in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

Discussion Questions In what ways does Jia Baoyu challenge traditional ideas about gender and sexuality? He is an androgynous character, showing elements of the typical male protagonist in his love triangle with Daiyu and Baochai, but also showing a feminine sensitivity and compassion, in marked contrast to the other male characters in the novel. He has been interpreted as representing the Daoist ideal of yin and yang, as he is a perfect blend of both male and female elements. He has also been interpreted as representing a fluid, bisexual gender identity.

Discussion Questions Why does the author frame an essentially realistic story with the fantastical story of Jia Baoyu being born from a magical stone? What does this add to the novel?