论文总字数：43803字

摘 要

1. Introduction 1

1.1 About the Author 1

1.2 About the Work 1

2. Literature Review 3

2.1 Previous Studies 3

2.2 Purpose of the Study 4

2.3 Western Family Values 5

3. Positive Family Values Embodied in A Dream of Red Mansions 6

3.1 Family Values as Embodied in Baoyu 6

3.1.1 Jia Baoyu’s Personality 6

3.1.2 Jia Baoyu’s Family Values 7

3.1.2.1 Jia Zheng’s Requirement for Jia Baoyu in Study 7

3.1.2.2 Jia Zheng’s Requirement for Jia Baoyu in Making Friends 9

3.1.2.3 Lady Wang’s Influence on Jia Baoyu 9

3.1.2.4 Lady Dowager’s Influence on Jia Baoyu 10

3.2 Family Values as Embodied in Daiyu 10

3.2.1 Lin Daiyu’s Personality 10

3.2.2 Lin Daiyu’s Family Values 11

3.3 Family Values as Embodied in Xue Baochai 12

3.3.1 Baochai’s Personality 12

3.3.2 Xue Baochai’s Family Values 13

3.4 Family Values as Embodied in Jia Tanchun 15

3.4.1 Tanchun’s Personality 15

3.4.2 Tanchun’s Family Values 15

4. Negative Family Values Embodied in A Dream of Red Mansions 17

4.1 Family Values as Embodied in Jia Rui 17

4.1.1 Jia Rui’s Personality 17

4.1.2 Jia Rui’s Family Values 17

4.2 Family Values as Embodied in Jia Qiaojie 18

4.2.1 Qiaojie’s Personality 18

4.2.2 Qiaojie’s Family Values 18

5. Conclusion 19

References 20

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to those who helped and supported me in my writing.

First of all, I would like to give my gratitude to my tutor, Prof. Zhu Li, for her constant guidance from the beginning of the topic and in the process of writing. Professor Zhu spent a lot of time reading my draft and giving me advice. I really appreciate her kindness.

Next, I would like to thank the professors in the School of Foreign Languages and Literature in Nanjing Tech University. Their wide-ranging knowledge also has led many improvements in my study.

Then, I feel like giving my appreciation to my friends accompanying me when I encounter obstacles in both thesis and life.

Last but not least, I would like to express my deep love to my family, especially to my father and mother who have made a great contribution to the success of this paper by their unswerving concern and strong support in life.

Abstract

A Dream of Red Mansions has contribution to the development of literature and many scholars have analyzed it from many perspectives. As for the influence of different family values on the characters and their final fates, its research significance is extremely remarkable, but there are a few relevant references.

This thesis starts with characters such as Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai, Jia Tanchun, Jia Huan,Jia Jia Qiaojie etc., and the relationship between personality and family values is analyzed in detail, and analyzes the reasons for the final fates. For Jia Baoyu, lack of parents' care and excessive doting of grandmother make his character flamboyant. Baoyu's quarrel with his father is always based on their disagreement. As for Lin Daiyu, she is cautious because she is dependent. For Xue Baochai, her amazing upbringing makes her do everything perfect. For Jia Rui, the tragedy of his fate is largely due to his grandfather's lack of management. For Jia Ying-chun, she has been rebelling against fate and fleeing from her shameful biological mother. For Jia Qiaojie, the mighty mother makes her delicate. To a large extent, a person's character has an inseparable relationship with his/her family values.

Therefore, it is hoped that this study will give some inspirations to researchers on the relevant study of family values. At the same time, it may contribute to the study on the A Dream of Red Mansions. Just like western literary works, ancient Chinese literature can also give English major students a lot of cognition and understanding. Especially for us graduates, this English version gives us a chance to study more about the differences between western and Chinese literature. Through the study of the family values of different characters in A Dream of Red Mansions, we can better understand the influence of Confucian education in China and the differences between Chinese and Western family values.

Key words: A Dream of Red Mansions; family values; fates; personality;

中文摘要

《红楼梦》对于文学发展做出较大贡献，许多学者从诸多角度进行分析。而就不同的家庭价值观对于后代性格和每个人物最后结局的影响，其研究意义极为显著，但相关著作甚少。

本文从贾宝玉、林黛玉、薛宝钗、贾探春、贾环、贾巧姐等人物入手，详细分析人物性格与其家庭价值观之间的关系，并分析造成最后命运结局的原因。对于贾宝玉而言，缺少父母的关爱加之祖母的过分溺爱使得他性格张扬。宝玉与其父亲的争吵基本基于两人意见不一致。对于林黛玉而言，寄人篱下使得其做事小心翼翼。对于薛宝钗而言，她的良好教养使其做事面面俱到。对于贾瑞来说，他命运的悲剧很大程度上是因为祖父的管理缺失。对于贾迎春来说，她一直在反抗命运，逃离那个让她感到羞耻的生母。对于贾巧姐来说，强势的母亲使得其变得娇贵。很大程度上，一个人的性格与其家庭价值观有着不可脱离的关系。

因此，本研究能够有助于更多学者对家庭价值观进行研究，同时本研究也有助于研究《红楼梦》的文学价值。就像西方文学作品一样，中国古代文学也能给英语专业的学生很多认知和理解。特别是对于我们毕业生来说，红楼梦英译本给我们一个让我们更多地了解中西文学的差异的机会。通过对《红楼梦》中不同人物的家庭价值观的研究，可以更好地了解儒家教育在中国的影响以及中西家庭价值观的差异。

关键词: 《红楼梦》；家庭价值观; 命运；人物性格

Introduction

• 1. About the Author

Cai Xue-qin (1715-1763), the author of A Dream of Red Mansions, is one of the most eminent poets and novelists in the history of Chinese literature. He was born in a bureaucratic family, which made it possible for him to be living an affluent and noble life. He had high cultural accomplishments and outstanding competence for art. But later he experienced a significant turn in life because the property of his family was confiscated. However, adversity brought talent in return. It was when he was plunged in such an embarrassing circumstance that he had the chance to be in contact with the low class people in the society. And the society gave him specific, intense experience, enables himself to live in an optimistic life. Being aware of the cruelty and ruthlessness of the feudal society, he finally created a great work -- A Dream of Red Mansions -- through years of hardship and perseverance.

• 1. About the Work

A Dream of Red Mansions is one of the four classics of ancient Chinese literature, which is regarded as an encyclopedia of Chinese traditional culture by scholars. It takes the love and tragedy of Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai as the main line. It describes the life of a declining aristocratic family, involving hundreds of characters and stories, which vividly reflect the political, economic, customary, educational and religious characteristics of China in the eighteen centuries, reflecting the turns that society is bound to collapse as well as the declining trend of history. However, due to historical restrictions, the author also expressed his regrets over Mongolia's sadistic and nihilistic sadness in the demise of the feudal family.

Yang Xian-yi, born in Xuyi, Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province, is a famous Chinese translator, foreign literature research expert and poet. Yang Xian-yi and his wife, Gladys Yang, have worked together to translate many famous Chinese historical works, such as A Dream of Red Mansions which have been well received and widely influenced in foreign countries.

In 1951, Mr. and Mrs. Yang came to Beijing at the invitation of China Foreign Languages Publishing House. At that time, the Foreign Languages Publishing House (now the predecessor of China foreign languages Bureau) just founded the English version of Chinese literature, which marked the beginning of introducing Chinese literature to the western social system. During this period, Yang Xianyi and his wife translated a large number of Chinese works at an amazing speed.

The three volume English version of A Dream of Red Mansions is the work here. It is the only full translation of the Chinese translation so far, and the only full translation is the Stone Story translated by Hawkes, a British Sinologist. The publication of two English versions of A Dream of Red Mansions is not only a major event of cultural exchange between China and English speaking countries, but also a major event of literary translation, which promotes the translation process of Chinese classical novels.

Literature Review

2.1 Previous Studies

A Dream of Red Mansions, as one of the four great classical novels in China, has been widely concerned since its publication. Family values play an important role on person’s whole life (Cao, 2019). Different education systems are based on different historical and economic factors (Zhang, 2011). Zhang claims that exploring the influence of family values on children should be combined with the economic and cultural background at that time. The formation of a person’s character is directly related to his/her family environment and family values. Children are not only the continuation of blood, but also the epitome of the whole family. In A Dream of Red Mansions, the powerful and prominent family is composed of many small families, each of which has a high or low status, power and different ways of educating their children (Fu, 2018). Fu thinks different family values ultimately leads to the choice of very different paths in life.

Different parenting styles in families lead to different life trajectories. According to Fang (2015), the elder doting, comfortable life and family disharmony are the main reasons for Jia Baoyu’s spiritual emptiness and a lack of sense of responsibility. When he couldn't get his true love, he chose to escape from the world. Jia Baoyu and his father often have conflicts, the reason is that they have different philosophy and values. His father’s expectation for him is to take the imperial examination and make friends with officials. While Baoyu, though intelligent, is not interested in politics. What he wanted to do is living a free and easy life with his sisters (Wei J.K.amp; Wang J.N, 2015).

In general, A Dream of Red Mansions shows different educational values for the next generation regarding different types of families. In addition, Cai Xue-qin also presents the fate of each character with diverse family values in A Dream of Red Mansions. On the one hand, there are several family values in the book such as the intellectual family value of Daiyu, indulgent value of Baoyu, elite value of Baochai, effeminacy value of Qiaojie, and also the family values of Tanchun and Jia Rui (Fu, 2018). On the other hand, these different family values are related to the prevailing cultural concepts of the Qing dynasty, which reflect the social situation of feudal society. This thesis further explores the different family values and deeply explore the impact of family values on the next generation. On this basis, this paper also analyzes the specific values of each family for the background of the mainstream culture embodiment. It can be seen that girls in the A Dream of Red Mansions are better at reading than boys. As for the reasons, combined with the background of the times, this article is also discussed in the thesis.

As far as the need of the study, A Dream of Red Mansions has become a hot research topic over the past decades. But many researchers have only been studied it as a political and historical novel, while its characteristics as a cultural novel have gone unnoticed.

2.2 Purpose of the Study

In A Dream of Red Mansions, Cao Xue-qin's depiction of the two mansions of Rong and Ning is the epitome of the feudal society at that time. The book shows us a large number of characters in the feudal family. Their living conditions, living in different environments and growing up in different family education modes, have given birth to their different personalities and life trends.

This thesis selects six characters to analyze their personalities and their family values. For the first four characters, their personalities are consistent with their family values and play a positive role. But for the last two, the wrong family values led to their tragedy.

As the purpose of the study, the study not only provide readers with some enlightening thoughts on the family values as well as enhance their reinterpretation of the novel from the perspective of family values. At the same time, it may contribute to the study on the A Dream of Red Mansions.

2.3 Western Family Values

The Marxist view of marriage and family expounds the relationships among love, marriage and family. The main viewpoints are as follows: it’s believed that love and marriage are the basis of family; it is parents' duty to educate and cultivate children; and family members’ relations should be equal and harmonious (Chen, 2013: 24-28). For western families, their family values emphasize the self-development and independence of future generations. In many families, parents let their children make their own major life decisions. Parents can influence a child to make his own choice, but the child has the right to decide whether to obey his parents. But in China, by analyzing the characters and family values of the six characters, it can easily find the influence of Confucian culture in China. No matter in daily life or in the education of children, we can see the epitome of Confucian culture. Parents have the right to decide everything about their children, including marriage. However, freedom of marriage has always been one of the ideas advocated by the west country.

This article focuses on the family values in A Dream of Red Mansions.

1. Positive Family Values Embodied in

A Dream of Red Mansions

3.1 Family Values as Embodied in Baoyu

3.1.1 Jia Baoyu’s Personality

Jia Baoyu is the main character in A Dream of Red Mansions. As a descendant of Jia Zhen, he is of extraordinary origin besides being clever and smart. But his ideological character prompts him to betray his family. The formation of his rebellious character is not accidental, but an inevitable phenomenon brought about by the feudal system and his living environment. His character is undoubtedly typical in that feudal era.

In general, Jia Baoyu is the pioneer thinker in A Dream of Red Mansions, a rebel in the feudal society, and the spokesman of Cai Xue-qin's betrayal of the patriarchal system and Cao’s publicity of feminism. Due to the limitations of the times, Jia Baoyu cannot find the outlet of the true life. He wants to get rid of the shackles of aristocratic society, but he could not help but cling to the aristocratic class. This makes him have a tragic contradiction. His ideal is undoubtedly the negation of the feudal life, but it is also very vague, with strong sentimentalism and nihilism.

His main characters are as follows:

Jia Baoyu's rebellion against the feudal system

Jia Baoyu's behavior is resolute and perverse, and he is a rebel in feudal society. He despises fame and reputation, and is obsessed with the knowledge of official career. He does not want to take the career path just like his father. He hates the Eight-part essay, and regards the feudal ruler as a godly Confucianist critic. Based on this idea, he has a strong aversion and contempt for the secular man who is motivated to read and to be an official.

You haven't changed one bit, sighed Xiangyun. But now you're growing up. Even if you don't want to study and take examinations, you should at least interact with officials and learn something about the world and administration. That'1l help you to manage your own affairs in future and make some friends. What other young gentleman spends all his time, the way you do, playing about with us girls? (Yang, 224)

Please go and call on some of your other cousins, young lady, he retorted. People with worldly wisdom like yours will be polluted here. (Yang, 224)

Jia Baoyu’s love and sympathy with women.

The core of Jia Baoyu's character is to advocate that each person act freely according to his/her own will. In the book, he bravely challenged the feudal traditional concept of men being superior to women. He hates and despises secular men, and approaches and respects women who are in oppressed positions. He once said, ‘Girls are made of water, men of mud.’ ‘ I feel clean and refreshed when I’m with girls but find men dirty and stinking.’ (13). He has great love for many young girls, but his love is for the unfortunate people around him in a broader sense. His love includes feelings of closeness, love, consideration, respect, sympathy, and so on. As a result, he acts with unusual tenderness for girls.

3.1.2 Jia Baoyu’s Family Values

3.1.2.1 Jia Zheng’s Requirement for Jia Baoyu in Study

Jia Zheng, Jia Baoyu's father, asks Jia Baoyu to study Four Books and Five Classics and obtain fame in order to glorify his family. And his father repressed his favorite poems and songs by means of coercion.

Baoyu’s relationship with his father Jia Zheng is not good. Baoyu is most afraid of his father. It can be seen that Jia Zheng is very gentle to all people but he is only very fierce to his son. Jia Zheng doesn’t care what Baoyu does, just blindly scolds Baoyu.

The conflict between father and son is often caused by different ideas.

Jia Zheng, the grandfather of Rong Guogong ’s favorite grandson, read books with enthusiasm since childhood. Jia Zheng's eldest son, Jia Zhu, died in her twenties, leaving only his second son, Bao Yu. Jia Zheng pins the hope of glorifying ancestors, by taking the imperial examination, on Jia Baoyu. Judging from the situation of descendants of the Jias, the only person who can undertake the important responsibility of the Jias is Jia Baoyu. Because he is young and he has the possibility of receiving education. Therefore, Jia Zheng’s education of Baoyu not only represents his personal intentions, but also represents the educational requirements of the Jia’s.

Jia Zheng's way of educating first manifests in reading, which also follows the requirements of eight-stroke scholar selection. In chapter 9, Jia Zheng asks Li Gui what book Baoyu is reading.

Even if he studied thirty more volumes, it would just be fooling people,” he retorted. “Please give my compliments to the school principal, and tell him from me that such works like the Book of Songs and classical essays are a waste of time. He’d far better explain the Four Books and make his pupils learn them by heart. (64)

Also Jia Zheng once tells Baoyu that

请支付后下载全文，论文总字数：43803字