论文总字数：42039字

摘 要

1. Introduction 1

1.1 Brief introduction to Cao Xueqin 1

1.2 Brief introduction to A Dream of Red Mansions 1

1.3 The development of English version of A Dream of Red Mansions 2

2. Literature Review 4

2.1 Relevant research on A Dream of Red Mansions 4

2.2 Purpose of writing 5

3. The Deciding for Character Selection Based on the Duality 7

3.1 The theory of duality 7

3.2 The choice of the specific characters 8

3.2.1 The choice of Lady Wang 8

3.2.2 The choice of Xue Pan 8

3.2.3 The choice of Granny Liu 9

3.2.4 The choice of Wang Xifeng 9

4. The Duality Nature in the Characters 10

4.1 Clemency and inexorability of Lady Wang 10

4.2 Foppery and humaneness of Xue Pan 12

4.3 Ruthlessness and shrewdness of Wang Xifeng 14

4.4 Tactfulness and vulgarity of Granny Liu 15

5. Conclusion 19

References 20

Acknowledgments

I received a lot of help with the difficulties encountered in writing my paper, and luckily all of them have been resolved. Here I would like to express my cordial thanks to all those who have helped me.

Firstly, I am most grateful to my supervisor Ms. Zhu, for her patient guidance and prompt feedback to my academic program. During my working on the paper, she helped me with modifying my literature review and giving her professional opinion. She often shares information that would help me write my paper. Her guiding perspective and approach opened up my horizon in literature writing. She has inspired my paper writing through professional guidance. I am very grateful to my supervisor for all you have done to direct my academic paper, which is a great honor for me.

I want to thank all the other teachers for their teaching and supporting throughout my undergraduate study at Nanjing Tech University.

Secondly, I’d like to thank my friends and fellow students for the advice and help they gave me when I was having trouble with my paper. One more thing that has to be mentioned is their constant companionship and inclusion.

Last but not least, I won’t forget to thank the library of Nanjing Tech University for providing significant references for my paper.

Abstract

As the peak representative of Chinese classical novels, A Dream of Red Mansions has successfully created a series of deeply rooted characters for us. Based on the literary duality theory, this paper will focuses on the analysis of the human nature of the chosen characters.

A Dream of Red Mansions has broken away from the traditional pattern of good people being completely good and evil being completely evil in previous novel. Duality refers to two aspects of the same thing. The author shapes the figure image of being good and evil, beauty and ugliness coexisting in the same person. Cao Xueqin combines the beauty and ugliness in a character's traits to make it appear complex. This approach is not a simple addition of beauty and ugliness, but rather the intertwining and permeating of the two elements of beauty and ugliness that exist in the inner world of the human being. Let the reader see both the good side of human nature and the evil side of human nature, so that the reader can feel the charming characters shaped by the author.

As a way of understanding how the English world read the novel, the author of this paper studies carefully the English version of A Dream of Red Mansions. Based on the literary theory of duality, through the analysis of four roles of Lady Wang, Xue Pan, Wang Xifeng and Granny Liu, it is found that Lady Wang has the both character of clemency and inexorability, Xue Pan coexists of foppery and humaneness, Wang Xifeng coexists of ruthlessness and shrewdness as well as Granny Lady coexists of tactfulness and vulgarity. Through an in-depth discussion of the coexistence of good and evil in the same role, readers will be able to understand the characters more objectively and dialectically regarding the author's intention to create a vivid image of characters. Arguing the essential theme of duality from the close reading of both the original work and the English version of the novel, this paper provide a new interpretation angle for literary appreciation.

Key words: duality; good and evil; beauty and ugliness; A Dream of Red Mansions in Chinese and in English

中文摘要

作为中国古典小说的巅峰代表，《红楼梦》成功塑造了一系列深入人心的人物形象。本文着重从文学二元性理论的角度出发，以其为支撑，分析所选人物的人性二元性。

《红楼梦》在人物塑造上打破了“好人完全是好，坏人完全是坏”的传统模式。二元性指同一事物的两个方面，即作者塑造了善与恶，美与丑在同一人身上并存的人物形象。曹雪芹将人物性格中的美与丑组合到一起，使其呈现出复杂性。这种手法不是美与丑的简单相加，而是使存在于人的内心世界的美与丑两重因素互相交织，互相渗透。既让读者看到人性的善的一面，又让读者看到人性的恶的一面，从而让读者感受到作者塑造人物的魅力之处。

为了了解英国人是如何解读这部小说的，本文仔细研究了红楼梦英译本文本，并以二元性理论为依据，通过对王夫人，薛蟠,王熙凤，贾雨村，刘姥姥四个角色进行分析，发现王夫人仁慈与无情并存，薛蟠纨绔与富有人情味并存，王熙凤狠毒与精明并存，刘姥姥机智与粗俗并存。通过对同一个人人性善与恶两方面并存的深入探讨，从而使读者更客观的理解人物，辩证地看待作者塑造每个人物的用意。本文通过认真阅读原著和英译本小说，论证了文学二元性作为小说主题的重要性，并为文学鉴赏提供一个新的角度。

关键词：二元性; 善与恶; 美与丑;《红楼梦》原著和其英译本

1. Introduction

1.1 Brief introduction to Cao Xueqin

Cao Xueqin is a well-known writer of the 18th century in China, who became famous after his death for his novel A Dream of Red Mansions. After the publication, he gained a considerable reputation. After that, his book has been translated into more than 30 languages and sold more than million copies.

Cao Xueqin has been living in such a rich environment of literature and art since his childhood. He has been taught by his father and brother, disciplined by his teachers and friends. He has read a wide range of books, especially poetry, drama, novels and other literary books, such as opera, food, health care, medicine, tea ceremony, weaving and other cultural knowledge and skills.

1.2 Brief introduction to A Dream of Red Mansions

A Dream of Red Mansions, with captions for each chapter, also known as The Story of The Stone, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of China, and considered the greatest of them all. This book is epic in its range, multiple and deep in its characters and delivery. The book chronicles the rise and fall of the Jia family during the Qing Dynasty, depicting the truth, goodness, beauty and ugliness of the life of a group of well-behaved and sensible person, manifesting the humanity beauty and the tragic beauty. The novel portrays 400-plus characters, most of them are multi-dimensional. The novel is remarkable not only in its huge cast of figures and psychological range, but also in an accurate and subtle observation of the typical life and social structure of 18th-century Chinese society.

A Dream of Red Mansions is a book about political struggles and complex personal relationships, all set within a sweeping political-historical novel. In 18th-century China, “subversive” writing was severely punished, forcing writers to express their thoughts in obscure and indirect ways. He has skillfully embedded his political critique into the story of romantic love, successfully obscuring the author’s true purpose and avoiding detection by the authorities. In the preface of the book, Cao Xueqin writes that when fiction is real, the real becomes fiction; when unreal is real, the real becomes unreal (01). The author has embedded many secret messages throughout the book that reveal the fate of the characters. Only the attentive reader will discover these abstruse hints. The book is so multi-layered that it has formed an entire academic field known as Redology. Redologists continue to unravel the mysteries embedded in the book and often discover more secrets embedded in the narrative. It’s been three hundred years since A Dream of Red Mansions came out. Despite the passing of centuries, this epic tale of love and political intrigue remains a story of profound relevance and holds its place among the greatest novels in human history.

1.3 The development of English version of A Dream of Red Mansions

As a literary canon, A Dream of Red Mansions has an enduring charming. It has been produced, circulated in Chinese culture and spread in foreign cultures, mainly through its translation version. To date, A Dream of Red Mansions has appeared several English versions.

In 1959, Hawkes began to concentrate on translating A Dream of Red Mansions. It took him 10 years to translate the first 80 chapters. Hawkes's translation, with its emphasis on linguistic norms and cultural practices, follows a naturalized translation strategy. The purpose of the translation is to share with Western readers the fervent desire to have fun in the book, to satisfy the needs of foreign scholars.

In the late 1970s, Yang Xian-yi and his wife, Gladys Yang, also had started the vast project of translating A Dream of Red Mansions, which was finished in 1974. Faithful to the original work, Mr. and Mrs. Yang adopted a strategy of alienation and direct translation. Their aim in translating is to introduce foreign readers to Chinese culture and to give them an insight into the vast depth of Chinese culture. The translation has been well received abroad and has had a wide impact.

Due to the encyclopedic nature of A Dream of Red Mansions, the translator is required to have a wealth of knowledge and deep learning. Since different cultural backgrounds and language habits are involved, as an intermediary between the original work and the reader of the translation, translators should not only faithfully deliver the original work’s language and culture, but also consider the psychology of the reader, so that the reader can feel the same or similar feelings as the original reader. Therefore in this paper, when discussing the duality of human nature in A Dream of Red Mansions, it is more appropriate to use the translation by Mr. and Mrs. Yang as an example.

Translation is also a creation, and the translator is not a linguistic craftsman, but a master of language conversion. I hope we can read more English version novels from a professional point of view, and feel the collision of cultures while learning more knowledge. I hope we can read more English translation novels from a professional point of view. It is not only thesis writing that requires reading the references, but also the pleasure of reading the translation. Experience the collision of different cultures while learning more knowledge.

2. Literature Review

2.1 Relevant research on A Dream of Red Mansions

A Dream of Red Mansions has been admired by numerous people for its unique charm, especially for its vivid character images. The novel was professionally reached by a few writers and scholars since its publication. They have appreciated and analyzed this novel from different aspects.

Wang analyses the human nature of loneliness, self-destruction, and paradox in A Dream of Red Mansions. He believes that special era creates special human nature, and that these three aspects are inescapable for the whole human being (2010, 14). Cao Xueqin lived in an era when great changes had taken place. People were disgusted and abhorrent with the old era, and it was impossible for them to have mature views and stable spiritual belief on the ideal world. As a result, they exhibited lonely, self-destructive and paradoxical human nature. Cao Xueqin has a profound and complicated experience of life, and has a deep thinking on common sense of things.

In A Dream of Red Mansions, he deeply grasped and analyzed the human nature of the times. He made an in-depth analysis of the evil side of human nature. “Human nature involves three states: true feelings, affectation and heartlessness” (Zhang, 2002:9). Figures in A Dream of Red Mansions fall into these three categories. Among them, Daiyu belongs to the first group, Baochai and Baoyu to the second, and Jia Zhen and Jia Lian are the third. Among the three types, the true feeling embodies the writer’s ideal but fragile existence. The heartless brings out the writer’s denial and criticism of society to a supreme degree. The affection interposed between the above two expresses the writer’s hardship and misery, his bitterness, inability but still a pursuit in life. The paper attempts to explore the essence of human nature in the world of A Dream of Red Mansions.

Dong (2005) contends that A Dream of Red Mansions focuses on the theme of conflicts between love as human nature and the feudal ethics and moral concepts, eulogizing the emotion as well as praising human nature (15). He compares and contrasts the young generation’s emotion superiority to reason and the old generation’s reason superiority to emotion, illustrate the fact that human being’s love develops in the struggle of emotion against reason, with the degeneration and the declination of China’s feudal society, and future points out the progressive spirit of the time expressed in the work and the author’s progressive ideas. The author analyses the characters in A Dream of Red Mansions from the perspective of love, which is the monism of human nature.

Research (Xu, Zhang, amp;Zhang, 2003) concludes that the analysis of human nature should be based on nature (28). The essay is written from a naturalistic perspective, analyzing the character's human nature by carefully grasping the character's psychology, thus feeling the naturalness and innocence of the fictional characters. This article believes that the gist of A Dream of Red Mansions is actually a sincere call to nature and purity as well as beautiful humanity. They made an in-depth analysis of the beauty side of human nature.

Fang (2009) expresses that the analysis of the characters in A Dream of Red Mansions should be conducted from both good and evil perspectives (39). She argues that the author has a demeaning view of any character, and there is a demeaning view in that view. She doesn't think characters should be portrayed as vessels of evil or mere good deeds (41). So she analyzes several traits of the human nature of the chosen characters from the perspective of good and evil.

2.2 Purpose of writing

A great deal of research has been done by Chinese scholars around this work. But the foreign reference available is scarce. In many literary studies at home and abroad, an increasing number of scholars focus on the analysis of human nature using literary duality theory, including a large number of ancient and modern Chinese and foreign novels. Although some scholars have mentioned the need to analyze the human nature in A Dream of Red Mansions from the perspective of beauty and ugliness, but not from the perspective of duality theory systematically and comprehensively. They just listed the traits of the characters' good and evil separately.

It is hoped that more and more literature will emerge to interpret A Dream of Red Mansion from the perspective of duality theory. Hence, more efforts are needed in this research realm.

To sum up, on the basis of previous researched and in view of their limitations, this paper takes advantage of the translated version, using the terms carefully chosen and translated by the Yangs, to interpret the human nature of the selected characters from the perspective of duality. It is hoped that my superficial research will provide a new angle on the appreciation of literature. To a certain extent encourage people to read more English translations of novels and experience different cultures.

3. The Deciding for Character Selection Based on the Duality

3.1 The theory of duality

Han notes the duality stems from Kant’s philosophy. Later, it was applied to the duality of commodities in the field of economics by Marx, and the duality of this paper belongs to the literature (2019:2). It is noteworthy that many thinkers, both ancient and modern, have reached a consensus in affirming the duality of human nature. Shi Shuo of the Zhou Dynasty believed that human beings had both good and evil natures. Yang Xiong of the Han Dynasty pointed out the nature of man is also a mixture of good and evil. Liu Zaihua said in addition to the human side of man, there is also the bestial side. Western Christianity holds that "man is half devil and half fairy"(Qi, 2013:3-4).

From the point of view of human ethics, human nature has a pole of good and a pole of evil. From the point of view of human social practice, human nature has a pole of true and a pole of false. From the point of view of human aesthetics, human nature has a pole of beauty and a pole of ugly. Duality refers to two aspects of the same thing, which simultaneously coexists in a person. Any person, no matter how complex their personality, is made up of opposite poles (2013, 4).

The author's portrayal of the figures in A Dream of the Red Mansions has a distinct duality, and the two aspects of the duality are both opposed and unified, which together contribute to the narrative development of the novel text. Despite the many complex character relationships in A Dream of Red Mansions, the author inherently reveals the existence of individual duality. Through the analysis of duality, we can know that both good and evil are part of human nature. The simultaneous presence of these two aspects in the same person makes the characters more distinct and vivid in the text. Everyone in A Dream of Red Mansions is not completely perfect. Sometimes a person will be sincere and hypocritical, beautiful and ugly at the same time.

3.2 The choice of the specific characters

There exist a great deal figures and complex relationships in A Dream of Red Mansions. Each character is endowed with distinct characteristics by the author. In order to better analyze the duality of human nature, I chose four specific characters including men and women, leading role and supporting roles. They all reflect the duality of human nature in different aspects.

3.2.1 The choice of Lady Wang

Zheng concludes that there has been a lot of controversy about the character of Lady Wang in A Dream of Red Mansions．Her character is full of complexity and contradiction, which is closely related to her special family status，ethical education and social environment(2019:75). Some of us found the kindness of Lady Wang, while others read of the ruthlessness and cruelty of Lady Wang. In general, the simple evaluation of Lady Wang's good and evil are relatively hasty. To analyze Lady Wang, the character should be studied in a specific environment. Because the author uses realistic techniques to truly reproduce the richness and complexity of human nature in life. He is by no means simply to create a cruel evil woman, nor to depict a virtuous single woman image. This character embodies the author's complex feelings. The image of Lady Wang is neither the best nor the worst, but a product of human nature and feudal moral impact. By analyzing the obvious duality of human nature of Lady Wang can it be better to be understood.

3.2.2 The choice of Xue Pan

In A Dream of Red Mansions, Xue Pan can be said to have become a quintessence for ugliness. But as a rational research, we should clearly see that behind its ugliness, it is also expressing a reflection on human nature, a desire for beauty and pursuit. Facing this role, we will feel a deep touch. He is so vivid and real that we feel he exists around us. We see the bad root of human beings, the shrewdness of businessmen and the greed of men from him. All of these are being rendered and reflected in A Dream of Red Mansions. Although the good side of Xue Pan is weak, it does exist and cannot be overlooked. Xue Pan's image is enriched, complex and complete because of the existence and foil of this good side (Wang, 1996:10).

3.2.3 The choice of Granny Liu

Granny Liu, who is lowly, plays an important role although she is sketchily described in the novel. She witnesses the process of Jia's feudal family from the peak to decline, which drives the development of the story (Wei, 2019:185). Granny Liu created by author is well-rounded and three-dimensional. Through the dual analysis of Granny Liu, we can further feel the prosperity and the inevitable decline of feudal family. We’d better take an objective and rational view on her speech and behavior so as to well understand the hardship of people at the bottom of society.

3.2.4 The choice of Wang Xifeng

The image of Wang Xifeng is based on the prototype of life through artistic processing and shaping. Her image is profound and vivid. In A Dream of Red Mansions, Cao Xueqin mainly depicts the human image in two aspects of wealth and power. This character has a strong artistic appeal. In the intricate relationship between characters, she is puzzled and perplexed by money and power, and her personal story continues to derive into one of the main lines of the whole work. As a character with distinct personality in A Dream of Red Mansions, Wang Xifeng is not only like a basin of fire, but also a sharp sword in the dark. The author describes her as a more realistic character, which makes her complex personality to the fullest (Zhang, 2018:56). Through the analysis of the duality of Wang Xifeng's human nature, we can further understand the charm of this female character.

4. The Duality Nature in the Characters

4.1 Clemency and inexorability of Lady Wang

Lady Wang is Jia Bao-yu's mother, who seems to be a kind and generous person because she used to practice abstinence from meat and say prayers. In chapter 42, Lady Wang ordered Pinger to give Granny Liu (a poor relative who was not related in any way) one hundred taels, and asked her to start a small business or buy some land with it, so that she do not appeal to ask friends for help in the future. There was an understanding of the plight of poor relatives and a compassion for them. During the feast there was a coarse countrywoman’s performance, only she saw the miserable condition of Granny Liu. Here, goodness and clemency of Lady Wang is extremely reflected. Nevertheless, facing the servant girls around her son who thought were not serious enough, she simply seemed to be a different person. She reprimanded them as "fox spirits" and banished them. Later on, Jinchuan and Qingwen died because of her behavior, and Fangguan and others became nuns.

The following analysis of Lady Wang’s duality of human nature continues through her attitude towards Concubine Zhao. "Time and again I've overlooked this sort of thing, but it only makes you worse. Conceited creature"! (Yang, 169) Lady Wang described by the author is a clement person who usually prays to Buddha every day. The description shows us the beauty side of Lady Wang's human nature: clemency. However, the evil side of human nature comes through in the conversation with Concubine Zhao. Hardly had she met Concubine Zhao when she scolded her unpleasantly.

These are things Miss Baochai just gave Huan, things brought her by her brother. She’s so young yet she thinks of everybody! I gave the maid who brought them two hundred cash. I heard that Aunt Xue sent you some gifts too, madam. I wonder what they are? So their family’s sending us two lots of presents! How many things could they have got? Not wonder the old lady and you both praise Miss Baochai and make such a favorite of her. She’s really most lovable (Yang, 501).

Based on reading the English translation found the author's description of Lady Wang's reaction here to be brilliant. Concubine Zhao shows the gift she received to Lady Wang and praises Baochai again. In fact, she is trying to curry favor with Lady Wang. But Lady Wang didn't raise her head or extend her hand, just said "Good, let Huan play with them” without so much as glancing at the toys (501).

From the above two descriptions of Concubine Zhao and Mrs. Wang, we can easily feel that in Lady Wang's eyes, Concubine Zhao is like a servant. It is an existence that she scolds when she wants to scold and ignores when she wants to ignore. She really doesn't like Concubine Zhao from the bottom of her heart.

Although Lady Wang hated Concubine Zhao in her heart, she did not abandon Tanchun for this reason. Tanchun is Concubine Zhao’s daughter. Pinger once said that although Lady Wang seemed to be indifferent to Tanchun, she was actually the same to Baoyu and Tanchun. Maybe this was a bit of a boastful remark. However judging from the 55 chapter, Lady Wang let Tanchun exercise the authority over the family, which appears that she was not a person who would avenge her personal grudge.

In fact, Cao Xueqin did not want to portray a sinister, vicious and hypocritical Lady Wang, but to create a rich, complex and contradictory heroine of the feudal aristocracy. The clemency and inexorability of Lady Wang coexist, and the love she embodies is filled with contradictions and duality. Zheng (2019:80) notes her natural love is full of love, while her social love is full of coldness and ruthlessness.

4.2 Foppery and humaneness of Xue Pan

In A Dream of Red Mansions, Xue Pan can be said to have become a quintessence for ugliness. But as a rational research, we should clearly see that behind its ugliness, it is also expressing a reflection on human nature, a desire for beauty and pursuit. The role of Xue Pan will touch the reader a lot. He is so vivid and real that we feel he exists around us. We see the bad root of human beings, the shrewdness of businessmen and the greed of men from him. All of these are being rendered and reflected in A Dream of Red Mansions. In chapter 4, the author tells us that Xue Pan was born into a Jinling family, lost his father at a young age, was thoroughly spoiled by his mother as his only son and heir, and grew up to have nothing. They were all millionaires, receiving income from the State Treasury as Purveyors for the Imperial Household. From the age of five or six, he had shown himself extravagant in his habits and insolent in his speech. At school, he learned only a few words, spending all his time on cockfights, riding or pleasure trips. Although he was a Court Purveyor, he knew nothing about business or worldly affairs and had to rely on his grandfather’s old connections to get him a well-paid sine-cure in the Board of Revenue and left all business to his agents and old family servants. Xue Pan lost his father when he was a child. Because of the lack of his father's discipline and his mother's spoil, he became a dandiacal son of a rich family. Xue Pan, a 15-year-old young man, did not know how to run a business and despised knowledge because of his rich family, lack of restraint, and his old family coming to take care of things. When he grows up, he became aggravated, and was beaten by Liu Xianglian because of his molesting.

But later they became sworn brothers because Liu Xianglian helped him fight bandits. From words to actions, he was greatly sincere and heartfelt without affectation or hypocrisy. Not only did he sworn brothers with Liu Xianglian, but also drew up a genuine plan of gratitude on his way back to the capital. It can be seen that Xue Pan knows how to show gratitude, and he is particular about kindness to friends. In addition the author describes his humaneness in chapter 67. He is considerate to his family. After trading on business for months, he still remembered to bring exquisite gifts for his mother and sister.

Xue Pan called servants to unfasten the ropes and remove the spars, then he unlocked the cases. They saw that one was filled with silks, satins, brocades, foreign imports and articles of daily use. The other, meant for Baochai, in addition to writing-brushes, ink-tablets, inkstones, stationery, perfume-sachets, scented beads, fans, fan-sheaths, powder, rouge and pomade, had in it all sorts of toys from Huqiu in Soochow. Among them were figurines with movable limbs, lots for drinking-games, toy tumblers weighted with quicksilver, earthenware lanterns, whole sets of clay opera figures in blue gauze boxes, and even a clay sculpture of Xue Pan done to the life by one of the Huqiu craftsmen (497).

The variety and novelty of the gifts depicted by the author show Xue Pan’s heartfelt concern for his mother and sister. Although the author writers at length about his bad side such as killing people, robbing other people's wives and did all sorts of wicked things. However in this chapter the author suddenly lets the reader see that he felt great affection for his younger sister. And he will do highly warm as well as careful things for her. This warmth and carefulness is the precious part of Xue Pan, and also an indispensable part of his human nature.

Though Xue Pan is the production of failed family education, he has neither learning nor skill, abuse his power and bully the people, he also has a beauty side. He knows how to show gratitude, and he is particular about kindness to friends, and cares for his mother and sister. The good side of Xue Pan, though faint and extremely minor, does exist and cannot be denied. It is also the presence of this good side that gives Xue Pan's character their richness, complexity, and integrity, making them more flesh, blood, and more vivid. The duality of human nature of Xue Pan gives us a new interpretation of this character

4.3 Ruthlessness and shrewdness of Wang Xifeng

The author’s portrayal in chapter 11 and 12 tells the reader that Wang Xifeng took advantage of people’s love for her. Every time she gave Jia Rui a chance, give him a little hope, gave him a little fancy, and made him swoon. In the end, she murdered Jia Rui by designing a trap because of his lust for her. And in chapter 69, she was so jealous that she murdered Second Sister You and her kids. Maybe she is cruel beyond our imagination. Wang Xifeng have carefully scheduled a stratagem, tricked Second Sister You into the Grand View Garden, utilizing Qiu Tong to play a vicious role. Qiu Tong abuses Second Sister You maliciously every day, slowly everyone began to trample on her. Wang Xifeng arranged the servant girls to send her leftovers, so that Second Sister You was traumatized physically and mentally. When Second Sister You lost her child, Wang Xifeng put on a good show, revealing the girl's jealousy and malice incisively and vividly. Wang Xifeng's series of actions really exposed her more vicious side.

The beauty side of Wang XiFeng's human nature is her shrewdness. When Wang Xifeng was about seventeen years old, she managed more than three hundred people and managed them very well. So the Lady dowager gave her all the power. In addition, she stood out among many people around the Lady Dowager and contacted her sisters gracefully and decently. She speaks brightly and thoughtfully. She promoted Xiao Hong, and felt regret for the banishment of Qing Wen and Si Qi who died of hitting the wall. When it comes to her management ability, we have to mention the important chapter 14.

Since I’ve been put in charge here I daresay I shall make myself unpopular. I’m not as easy-going as your own mistress who lets you do as you please; so don’t tell me how things used to be managed here, but just do as I say. The least disobedience will be dealt with publicly, no matter how much face the offender may have (88).

These few words are unequivocal. First, Setting up the rules to avoid too many excuses. But at the same time Xifeng's words are also highly wise. The first thing is to give everyone an early warning, and then what's wrong with them will be punished. For it is impossible to establish authority if not handling affairs well.

If you are late today and I am late tomorrow, there will soon be nobody here, she said “I should have liked to let you off, but if I overlook the first offence the others will get out of hand. I shall be obliged to make an example of you.” “Anyone late again tomorrow will get forty strokes, and sixty the day after that. So those who want a beating, just come late.” (90)

Both two paragraphs were spoken to the servants. On the one hand, it's the real reason to beat people, so that everyone can understand her strength, and can really implement orders and prohibitions. On the other hand, it can also show her generosity, and only 20 blows today, so that there will be no such good fortune next time. It is a wisdom of management that the combination of grace and prestige.

What she said above, though bitter, reflected her shrewd and capable side. Wang Xifeng is ruthless and looks upon human lives as if they were not worth a straw. But there is no denying that she is exceedingly talented and can cherish other people with talents. The author portrays the character from the dual perspective of good and evil, showing multi-faceted, three-dimensional, vivid and realistic comprehensive character traits, which is also the charming of the character image of Wang Xifeng.

4.4 Tactfulness and vulgarity of Granny Liu

“The higher the rank, the worse the memory. How could you remember us”? (46) This is what Granny Liu said when she paid her first visit to the Rong Mansion. She knows what to say to a large family like Jia Mansion, rather than rushing into the climbing family. Therefore she was able to enter the Grand View Garden three times later, which is inseparable from her own tactful ability. When she entered the Rong Mansion again in chapter 39, the cleverness and smoothness of her words also reflected her eloquence. She could make Lady Dowager very happy through a short dialogue. She said she didn't know how to move if she reached Lady Dowager’s age. She was born to suffer, and Lady Dowager was born to be blessed. In such a family with a distinct hierarchy, Lady Dowager, as a person of high prestige and great respect, talked with Granny Liu harmoniously and pleasantly, which also showed her sophistication. Among the stories told by Granny Liu to Lady Dowager, she actually made up them, but she was very clever to say what Lady Dowager loves to hear. Lady Dowager lost a grandson Jia Zhu, and later got Baoyu. Granny Liu said that Guanyin Bodhisattva was moved by her because she worships the Buddha. The god Buddha will give the Lady benefits. She is so clever that she knows what Lady Dowager really likes to listen to. Lady dowager and Lady Wang are highly glad, because they are both praying because of Baoyu. The old lady's tactfulness was shaped by the difficulty of living in the countryside. We can recall that Granny Liu's first visit to the Rong mansion is very much like the way we ran to a major corporation to see the chairman of the board. You don't even have a way. But her cleverness is because she lives in difficulty and has to find a way to live.

Here the author portrays a witty Granny Liu, making the reader admire her wisdom. Granny Liu is quick-witted and experienced, is optimistic and enterprising, facing the life directly. But inevitably, she is also a vulgar person, pretending to be silly and be willing to achieve success by one way or another. The image of Granny Liu created by the author is full and three-dimensional, which not only makes readers feel the prosperity and extravagance of the feudal family life through this character, as well as the inevitable result of their decline, but also reflects the hardship and difficulties of the people's life at the bottom of the feudal society life. It is inevitably memorable and unforgettable to remember the quick-witted and coarse of Granny Liu

When she first came to the Rong Mansion, Wang Xifeng was very clear-minded. She knew that Granny Liu came to ask for money to help. Xifeng laughed and said politely

We’re simply poor officials trying to live up to our grandfather’s reputation. This household is nothing but an empty husk left over from the past. As the saying goes:" The Emperor himself has poor relations”. How much more so in our case? (48)

When heard what Wang Xifeng said, Granny Liu was afraid that the purpose of this trip would be lost. She said hastily that a starved camel is bigger than a horse. “A hair from your body is thicker than our waist.” (48) Although it makes sense under that circumstances, it's rather vulgar compared with what others say. In the description of Granny Liu entered Rong Mansion again, the author further reflects the vulgarity of Granny Liu as a rustic fellow.

The author wrote Granny Liu with great care and vividly described Granny Liu's vulgarity in chapter 40. When all was ready they took seats at the tables. All but Aunt Xue who, having breakfasted already, did not eat anything but sat on one side sipping tea. Having taken her seat Granny Liu picked up the chopsticks, but found them too awkward to manage. For Xifeng and Yuanyang had decided to give her an old-fashioned pair of square-edged ivory chopsticks inlaid with gold. "Why, these prongs are heavier than our iron shovels," the old woman complained. "How can I handle them"? (282). It is coarse language from rustic, which means this thing is so heavy that it can’t be taken at all. As everyone laughed, Granny Liu stood up then and declaimed at the top of her voice:

Old woman Liu, I vow,

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