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Hong lou meng jie gou yan jiu = A study of the structure of the dream of the red chamber
Other titles
红楼梦结构研究
Author
Chua, May Inn
Supervisor
Chan, Chiu Ming
Abstract
This is a study of the structure of the great classical Chinese novel Honglou Meng, or The Dream of the Red Chamber. The author begins with a concise definition of the term "structure" and clears the confusion over the terms jiegou and xiezuo zonggang . The former, when interpreted correctly, means "structure." But in the use of many Chinese scholars, the term refers rather to a draft or outline of plots. Xiezuo zonggang, on the other hand, should mean "a draft or outline of plots," though many scholars use it loosely as a synonym of "structure." With a clear distinction of the terms in mind, the author continues with an analysis of the fourth and fifth chapters as well as the fust five chapters as a whole, looking into their function in the structure of the novel, and pointing out the typical mistakes that scholars made. In Chapter Three, the author explores into the possible influence of traditional modes of thinking on the structure of the novel. She begins with a critique of the studies of such major scholars as Andrew Plak and Zhou Ruchang. She argues that Plak's theory that traditional ideas of yinyang and five-elements has structured the novel is not tenable. She also refutes Zhou Ruchang's theory that the novel has been structured by the belief in the importance of the number "nine". The author proposes that the idea of "gross constituent units" that Claude Levi-Strauss has used to analyse structures of myths can be utilised as a better theoretical framework in analysing the structure of the Dream of the Red Chamber. Her thesis is that the belief of le ji sheng bei (joy/ happiness will lead in the end to tragedy), a pervasive traditional concept, is a major structural element that underlies a number of significant incidents of the novel.
Date Issued
1997
Call Number
PL2727.S2 C43
Date Submitted
1997