What was the difference between the descriptions of women in 'Dream of the Red Chamber' and 'Water Margins?' Why was there such a difference?
"Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Water Margins" were classic novels in the history of Chinese literature. Both novels had a profound description of female images. However, their descriptions are different, mainly because they were created in different periods and different cultural backgrounds. 'Dream of the Red Chamber' was a masterpiece in the history of Chinese literature during the Qing Dynasty. Cao Xueqin described many female images in the novel, among which the female character, behavior, thought and so on have unique performance. Cao Xueqin reflected the social reality and cultural background through the performance of female images, and also showed his deep insight and understanding of human nature. In comparison, Water Margins was written in the Ming Dynasty earlier than Dream of the Red Chamber. The female images in the Water Margins also had obvious characteristics of the times and traces of traditional culture. Most of the female images in the novel were portrayed as weak, helpless, and oppressed, lacking independent consciousness and the ability to act independently. The main reason why the descriptions of female images in Dream of the Red Chamber and Water Margins were different was that they were written at different times and in different cultural backgrounds. Cao Xueqin was able to explore the inner world of women and the nature of human nature more deeply in the era where the social environment was relatively relaxed. However, the image of women in Water Margins was portrayed as weak, helpless and oppressed due to the influence of traditional culture.