2. Introduction to the work
A Dream of Red Mansions is China's first classical Four Great Classical Novels and a novel written by Cao Xueqin in Qing Dynasty. In the early days, only the first 80 manuscripts were circulated, formerly known as the Story of the Stone. Cheng Weiyuan collected the last 40 manuscripts and invited Gao E to coordinate the publication of all 120 manuscripts entitled A Dream of Red Mansions. There are also versions such as "Yu Jin Yuan" and "Zhi Yanzhai's Comment on Stone".
A Dream of Red Mansions is an earthly novel with world influence. It is recognized as the pinnacle of China's classical novels, an encyclopedia of China's feudal society and a master of traditional culture. With the rise and fall of Jia, Wang, Shi and Xue as the background, the family affairs and leisure of Jia's family as the main line, and the love and marriage stories of Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai as the main line, the novel describes the beauty and tragedy of the twelve women in Jinling, praises the rebels who pursue light, foresees the inevitable demise of feudal society through the tragic fate of the rebels, and reveals the desperate crisis of feudal society.
A Dream of Red Mansions has a preliminary democratic thought. He deeply criticized the real society, including the darkness of the court and officialdom, the decay of feudal nobles and their families, the feudal imperial examination system, marriage system, handmaiden system and hierarchy system, and the corresponding social ruling thoughts, namely, Confucianism and social morality of Confucius and Mencius, and put forward vague ideals and propositions with preliminary democratic nature. These ideals and concepts are the tortuous reflection of the budding factors of the growing capitalist economy at that time.
A Dream of Red Mansions encourages itself by "talking about love with great ambition and keeping a record of events", only follows its logic, gets rid of old habits, is fresh and unique, and has achieved extraordinary artistic achievements. In particular, the special brushwork of "the truth is hidden, and the village words are false" has aroused the strong curiosity and prying desire of later readers, and all kinds of speculations about marginal notes are becoming more and more bizarre.