Gao Yang said Cao Xueqin

Author: Gao Yang / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The background of Cao Xueqin's life is not only complex but also unique; not only unique but also contradictory. Adding to this, his early life was marked by family adversity, yet it was not the typical decline of a noble family—only the difference in wealth, not a fundamental change in the foundation of life. After the Cao family was confiscated by the Qing government, they returned north and were assigned to the banner system, which not only drastically altered their living environment but also disrupted their traditional way of life. Coupled with Cao Xueqin's passionate and unrestrained temperament, the continuous setbacks he faced shaped an arrogant personality that was difficult for others to understand, making his life even more enigmatic and hard to decipher. However, humans are indeed influenced by their environment. If one can understand the broader context of his time, as well as the smaller environments that were permissible within it, and analyze the available materials with a calm mind, adhering to the principles allowed by the era, while forming reasonable hypotheses without preconceptions and rigorously verifying them through "searching high and low," it becomes possible to reveal Cao Xueqin's inner and outer selves. This mirror may be somewhat blurred, and gazing at the shadow of Cao Xueqin may seem like looking at flowers through mist, but the outline is roughly clear. Fear that this mirror is a funhouse mirror—that the clearer it is, the more distorted it becomes.
How easy is it to pursue knowledge with a calm mind and without preconceptions? Beyond personal cultivation, what is crucial is having an environment of academic freedom that allows one to quietly work on their own research. He has the freedom to study, but also the freedom not to study; the freedom to read certain materials without restriction, and the freedom to read materials without having to express an opinion. After I believe I have gained a sufficient understanding of Cao Xueqin, what deeply moved me is that Cao Xueqin, at that time, was willing to risk poverty, hunger, and hardship—even death—to fight for this freedom of research and creation! From this perspective, we might say that Dream of the Red Chamber is a vivid symbol of Cao Xueqin's success in relentlessly pursuing and ultimately achieving the freedom to research and create.
Cao Xueqin's background is not only complex but also unique; not only unique but also contradictory. Adding to this, his early life was marked by family adversity, yet it was not the typical decline of a noble family—only the difference in wealth, not a fundamental change in the foundation of life. After the Cao family was confiscated by the Qing government, they returned north and were assigned to the banner system, which not only drastically altered their living environment but also disrupted their traditional way of life. Coupled with Cao Xueqin's passionate and unrestrained temperament, the continuous setbacks he faced shaped an arrogant personality that was difficult for others to understand, making his life even more enigmatic and hard to decipher. However, humans are indeed influenced by their environment. If one can understand the broader context of his time, as well as the smaller environments that were permissible within it, and analyze the available materials with a calm mind, adhering to the principles allowed by the era, while forming reasonable hypotheses without preconceptions and rigorously verifying them through "searching high and low," it becomes possible to reveal Cao Xueqin's inner and outer selves. This mirror may be somewhat blurred, and gazing at the shadow of Cao Xueqin may seem like looking at flowers through mist, but the outline is roughly clear. Fear that this mirror is a funhouse mirror—that the clearer it is, the more distorted it becomes.
How easy is it to pursue knowledge with a calm mind and without preconceptions? Beyond personal cultivation, what is crucial is having an environment of academic freedom that allows one to quietly work on their own research. He has the freedom to study, but also the freedom not to study; the freedom to read certain materials without restriction, and the freedom to read materials without having to express an opinion. After I believe I have gained a sufficient understanding of Cao Xueqin, what deeply moved me is that Cao Xueqin, at that time, was willing to risk poverty, hunger, and hardship—even death—to fight for this freedom of research and creation! From this perspective, we might say that Dream of the Red Chamber is a vivid symbol of Cao Xueqin's success in relentlessly pursuing and ultimately achieving the freedom to research and create.