Seeking the appearance of the characters in Dream of the Red Chamber

"The song 'Dream of the Red Chamber', where did Lin Daiyu, Jia Baoyu, Wang Xifeng, Xue Baochai, Granny Liu, Second Sister You, and Xiren appear? What kind of character and relationship did their appearances reflect? What kind of writing style did Cao Xueqin use to describe them?

Answer 1

There were many ways for characters to appear in 'Dream of the Red Chamber'. The following were some of the common ways:

1. Appearance of the title: The name of the character appears in the title of the article to give the reader an impression of the character. For example, in the first chapter of 'Dream of the Red Chamber', Jia Baoyu appeared under the title of' Grandmother Jia's New Mourning'.

2. Direct appearance: The character appears directly in the plot of the novel to let the reader understand the background and personality of the character. For example, Lin Daiyu's appearance in the second chapter of Dream of the Red Chamber directly showed the readers her beauty and character.

3. Conversational appearance: The character's appearance through dialogue allows the reader to better understand the character's personality and background. For example, the conversation between Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu in the fourth chapter of 'Dream of the Red Chamber'.

4. Event Appearance: The character appears by participating in an event to allow the reader to better understand the character's personality and background. For example, Xue Baochai appeared in the sixth chapter of 'Dream of the Red Chamber', after participating in the imperial examination of Bao, Dai and Chai.

5. Description of appearance: The appearance of the character through the author's description allows the reader to better understand the image and personality of the character. For example, Wang Xifeng appeared in the eighth chapter of 'Dream of the Red Chamber', through the author's description of her appearance and personality.