Xi-ren's Wind-Blown Fate in The Dream of The Red Chamber Author: Mei-fang Xu (Center of General Education, Lunghwa University of Science and Technology)

Vol.&No.：Vol. 50, No. 1
Date：April 2005
Pages：1-16
DOI：10.6210/JNTNULL.2005.50(1).01

Abstract：

In The Dream of The Red Chamber the young girl Xi-ren, like many other sons and
daughters of poor families, was sold to Rong-fu, the mansion of the rich and authoritarian Bao-yu. She serves here as a virtual slave and yet her position was important. Here I will inquire into Xi-ren's personality, emotions and disease.
 Xi-ren was very mild and flexible, and could serve as a model of virtue for the other
ladies in Rong-fu; although somewhat selfish she never wised to harm others. She worked very hard for Bao-yu, yet also taught him to think and talk in the proper way. But her inner world was sad, and she was resigned to having a sad fate. After she married to Yu-han Jiang, she realized “Those who do good deeds will be blessed, just as those who are wicked will suffer." As for Xi-ren throwing up blood two times: in the first time Xi-ren might be had gullet bleeding or nasopharyngeal bleeding, and in the second time Xi-ren seemed to be got tuberculosis.
Xi-ren is an exceptional character in the novel due to her strong will, perseverance and
ability to maintain a positive attitude in the face of suffering, though she had thought to commit suicide. In certain respects she can also represent the character type of the “wise fool.”

Keywords：The Dream of The Red Chamber, Xi-ren, model of virtue, soft/hard personality, wise fool

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