Interculturality in HLM - Revision history

Root: /* Han and Manchu Combination */

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Han and Manchu Combination

Root: /* References */

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References

Root: /* Earliest Western Reception of the Description of Clothing in the Red Chamber Dreams */

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Earliest Western Reception of the Description of Clothing in the Red Chamber Dreams

Root: /* References */

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References

Root: /* 5. Coming-of-age and Alienation */

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5. Coming-of-age and Alienation

Root: /* Earliest Western Reception of the Description of Clothing in the Red Chamber Dreams */

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Earliest Western Reception of the Description of Clothing in the Red Chamber Dreams

Root: /* Weaving background of the Cao family */

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Weaving background of the Cao family

Root: /* Religious dresses */

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Religious dresses

Root: /* 5. Coming-of-age and Alienation */

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5. Coming-of-age and Alienation

Root: /* Comparison to Western novels in the 20th century */

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Comparison to Western novels in the 20th century

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 The many clothes of the more than 400 characters in the novel with its more than 50 fabrics is not just evidence of the weaver background of Cao family, but also a treasure of the fashion of the time, which was characterized by an integration of Han and Manchu culture (Cui 2004:111-113, 116).
-The author Cao Xueqin lived under the reigns of Kangxi and Qianlong. This was a period of cultural fusion between the Manchu and Han nationalities. Manchu and Han costumes merged in styles and patterns. For example: Han women's coats were becoming longer and longer, similar to robes, and Manchu clothing was increasingly drawing on the form and content of Han clothing in the application of patterns. The patterns of the "Yahhai Five-clawed Dragon and White Python Robe" are the result of learning from the costumes of the Han nationality in Qing Dynasty costumes. In terms of decorative styles and techniques, the boundaries between costumes of the two ethnic groups are no longer so clear. For example, the cheongsams and vests of Manchu women's clothing all adopt the auspicious decorations and embroidery techniques of the Han nationality. Manchu and Han costumes moved from opposition in the early stage to fusion in the late Qing Dynasty.(Chen 2007: 89-90)
+The author Cao Xueqin lived under the reigns of Kangxi and Qianlong. This was a period of cultural fusion between the Manchu and Han nationalities. Manchu and Han costumes merged in styles and patterns. For example: Han women's coats were becoming longer and longer, similar to robes, and Manchu clothing was increasingly drawing on the form and content of Han clothing in the application of patterns. The patterns of the "Jiangya-Haishui Five-clawed Dragon and White Python Robe" (江牙海水五爪龍白蟒袍, ch. 15) are the result of learning from the costumes of the Han nationality in Qing Dynasty costumes.  In terms of decorative styles and techniques, the boundaries between costumes of the two ethnic groups are no longer so clear. For example, the cheongsams and vests of Manchu women's clothing all adopt the auspicious decorations and embroidery techniques of the Han nationality. Manchu and Han costumes moved from opposition in the early stage to fusion in the late Qing Dynasty.(Chen 2007: 89-90)
 ===Clothing in Europe===

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 Liang Qichao (1936) ''Drink Ice Room Collection'', Volume 1.
-Lu Yuehua卢月化(1936), La jeune fille Chinoise d’apres Hong-Leou-Mong《〈红楼梦〉的中国少女》, Paris: Les Editions Domat — Montchrestien,15,89-93.
+Lu Yuehua 卢月化 (1936). La jeune fille Chinoise d’apres Hong-Leou-Mong 《〈红楼梦〉的中国少女》, Paris: Les Editions Domat — Montchrestien, 15, 89-93.
 Mayers, William Frederick (1867). ''Notes and Queries'' (Dec 31) pp. 167-168, here p. 167

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 ==Earliest Western Reception of the Description of Clothing in the ''Red Chamber Dreams''==
-For this paragraph, I refer to an earlier paper of mine (Woesler 2010) from which I pick four paragraphs, which show how the description of Chinese clothes was used also to "amuse the Beaux and the Belles" (meaning men and women interested in beauty among the Western readers). The "amusement" was of course meant despicably.
+For this paragraph, I refer to an earlier paper of mine (Woesler 2010) from which I pick the ideas for this short section, which show how the description of Chinese clothes was used also to "amuse the Beaux and the Belles" (meaning men and women interested in beauty among the Western readers). The "amusement" was of course meant despicably.
-Also for foreign readers, the description of the dressing of Jia Baoyu and Wang Xifeng at the beginning of the novel is one of the earliest passages translated into English and presented by Goldsmith as a proof of the exquisite dressing, to "amuse the 'Beaux and Belles'". (Goldsmith#, cf. Woesler#)
+Also for foreign readers, the description of the dressing of Jia Baoyu and Wang Xifeng at the beginning of the novel is one of the earliest passages translated into English and presented by Goldsmith as a proof of the exquisite dressing, to "amuse the 'Beaux and Belles'". (quote of John Barrow, cf. Woesler 2010:89, 90)
 In 1837 and in all following editions, the popular author Oliver Goldsmith integrated a shortened part of John F. Davis’ translation of the introduction of Jia Baoyu in a footnote to the second volume of his “Chinese Letters,” a famous variation of the Lettres Persanes:
-His letters appeared originally in the newspaper Public Ledger in 1760-1762; there, he often refers to Davis’ competence on China. He collected them and published them in two volumes, e.g. 1825 vol. I. The extract by Davis is quoted also in the editions following the edition of 1837 (1850, 1854, 1856, 1857, 1880, 1885, 2005). In 1837, it is found in vol. 2 p. 158, fn. 2. Oliver Goldsmith, The miscellaneous works of Oliver Goldsmith, London: John Murray 1837, vol. II, 551 S., here p. 158. In an earlier version, e.g. 1790, the footnote read: “Before the Tartar conquest, the men prided themselves on nothing more than the luxuriance, blackness, and length of their hair. All this, however, was changed at the conquest of the empire, for the Tartars holding in abhorrence long hair on the head of a man, ordered the Chinese to cut theirs off; and the tyrannical law was the cause of insurrections and bloodshed. The men now shave their heads, leaving only a small circle near the crown, whence some hair descends in a long tail or queue.” (Woesler To amuse…:#)
+His letters appeared originally in the newspaper Public Ledger in 1760-1762; there, he often refers to Davis’ competence on China. He collected them and published them in two volumes, e.g. 1825 vol. I. The extract by Davis is quoted also in the editions following the edition of 1837 (1850, 1854, 1856, 1857, 1880, 1885, 2005). In 1837, it is found in vol. 2 p. 158, fn. 2. Oliver Goldsmith, The miscellaneous works of Oliver Goldsmith, London: John Murray 1837, vol. II, 551 S., here p. 158. In an earlier version, e.g. 1790, the footnote read: “Before the Tartar conquest, the men prided themselves on nothing more than the luxuriance, blackness, and length of their hair. All this, however, was changed at the conquest of the empire, for the Tartars holding in abhorrence long hair on the head of a man, ordered the Chinese to cut theirs off; and the tyrannical law was the cause of insurrections and bloodshed. The men now shave their heads, leaving only a small circle near the crown, whence some hair descends in a long tail or queue.” (Woesler 2010:90)
-Once more, he published this excerpt not for its own sake, but as proof that his own, imaginary description of a Chinese male, was actually the ideal of beauty of contemporary China. (Woesler To amuse…:#) The original reads: “Oh! but he looked most charmingly; he is reckoned the best-shaped man in the whole province, for he is very fat and very short; but even those natural advantages are improved by his dress, which is fashionable past description. His head was close shaven, all but the crown, and the hair of that was braided into a most beautiful tail, that reached down to his heels, and was terminated by a bunch of yellow roses.” (Goldsmith 1837:158)
+Once more, he published this excerpt not for its own sake, but as proof that his own, imaginary description of a Chinese male, was actually the ideal of beauty of contemporary China. (Woesler 2010:90) The original reads: “Oh! but he looked most charmingly; he is reckoned the best-shaped man in the whole province, for he is very fat and very short; but even those natural advantages are improved by his dress, which is fashionable past description. His head was close shaven, all but the crown, and the hair of that was braided into a most beautiful tail, that reached down to his heels, and was terminated by a bunch of yellow roses.” (Goldsmith 1837:158)
-For this purpose, he introduced Jia Baoyu’s description with the words: “In a Chinese novel called Hung-low-Mung, or ‘The Red Chamber Dreams,’ translated by Mr. Davis, is the following description of a Chinese dandy :  ‘His beautiful nose was full, like the gall-bladder of a quadruped ; and he had a face like the moon in the midst of autumn : […] from his head to the end of his tail, which dangled to the ankles, hung four strings of precious stones set in gold. His upper tunic was pink spangled with flowers; his trowsers and stockings were embroidered, and his shoes were of a deep red colour, with thick white soles: ten thousand thoughts of love collected in the corner of his eye.’” (Woesler To amuse…:#)
+For this purpose, he introduced Jia Baoyu’s description with the words: “In a Chinese novel called Hung-low-Mung, or ‘The Red Chamber Dreams,’ translated by Mr. Davis, is the following description of a Chinese dandy :  ‘His beautiful nose was full, like the gall-bladder of a quadruped ; and he had a face like the moon in the midst of autumn : […] from his head to the end of his tail, which dangled to the ankles, hung four strings of precious stones set in gold. His upper tunic was pink spangled with flowers; his trowsers and stockings were embroidered, and his shoes were of a deep red colour, with thick white soles: ten thousand thoughts of love collected in the corner of his eye.’” (Woesler 2010:91)
-The novel seems to be abused here for a very ethnocentric approach. (Woesler To amuse…:#)
+The novel seems to be abused here for a very ethnocentric approach. (Woesler 2010:82)
 ==World Documentary Heritage==

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:55, 16 May 2022
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	Hu Wenbin.胡文彬(1990) The Spread and Research of "Red Chamber Dreams" in Britain: A Great Work from the East [J]. 从东方来的巨著——《红楼梦》在英国的流传与研究 ''Knowledge of Culture and History 文史知识'' 2:95-101.		Hu Wenbin.胡文彬(1990) The Spread and Research of "Red Chamber Dreams" in Britain: A Great Work from the East [J]. 从东方来的巨著——《红楼梦》在英国的流传与研究 ''Knowledge of Culture and History 文史知识'' 2:95-101.
		+
		+	Jacobsen, Stefan Gaarsmand. (2013). Chinese Influences or Images? Fluctuating histories of how enlightenment Europe read China. ''Journal of World History'' 623-660.
		+
		+	Kow, Simon. (2016). China in early Enlightenment political thought. Routledge.

	Lee Chentong 李辰冬(1934), Etude sur le Songe du Pavillon rouge《红楼梦研究》, Paris: Librairie L. Rodstein,6-7.		Lee Chentong 李辰冬(1934), Etude sur le Songe du Pavillon rouge《红楼梦研究》, Paris: Librairie L. Rodstein,6-7.

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 Cao Xueqin was fully aware of his time and China’s cultural achievements, he was familiar with the different levels of society, he was a detailed observer and skilful narrator. He may have conceptualized the ending of the novel as a discussion about the different personalities of the characters in the novel and therefore displaying his reflection about life and his psychological understanding of the diversity of human nature. He was able to grasp the “spirit of time” (Zeitgeist) and with his autobiographical experience create an eternal coming-of-age novel not just for his family, for the Qing-Chinese, for Chinese people, but for mankind.
-This tradition of Coming-of-age novels is also a European one, like enlightenment philosopher Voltaire’s novel ''Candide or Optimism''《老实人》shows at the very same time (1759) in Europe. Also Voltaire’s ''Candide'' has to leave the luxurious paradise of his childhood and strives for true love, but his main learning is more pessimistic, since Voltaire wrote the novel in opposition to Leibniz, who optimistically looked to China as “the best of all worlds”. Recent research findings (Kow 2016) show that China had a much larger influence on European enlightenment philosophers and we can be sure, that also Cao Xueqin was aware of some European literary traditions.
+This tradition of Coming-of-age novels is also a European one, like enlightenment philosopher Voltaire’s novel ''Candide or Optimism''《老实人》shows at the very same time (1759) in Europe. Also Voltaire’s ''Candide'' has to leave the luxurious paradise of his childhood and strives for true love, but his main learning is more pessimistic, since Voltaire wrote the novel in opposition to Leibniz, who optimistically looked to China as “the best of all worlds”. Research findings (Jacobsen 2013; Kow 2016) show that China had a much larger influence on European enlightenment philosophers and we can be sure, that also Cao Xueqin was aware of some European literary traditions.
 Also the German readership is familiar with the chronological following of the life of the protagonist and his development, the fate of a family over generations, the German readership knows this type of novel as the “Education novel” (Bildungsroman) or “Coming-of-age-novel” (Entwicklungsroman). In Germany, the genre of the coming-of-age novel has a long tradition and is shaped more by single characters, who appear as teachers (Goethe: ''Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship'' 威廉·麦斯特的学徒岁月 1795-96, Novalis 诺瓦利斯: ''Heinrich von Ofterdingen''《海因利·封·歐福特丁根》1802). Wilhelm Meister, parallely to Jia Baoyu, is struggling with the traditional education, in ''Wilhelm Meister'' this is represented with the classics revived in Shakespeare’s dramas. Tradition can give orientation, but the personality of the protagonist needs to develop through emancipation. This is a wisdom we can learn from all mentioned novels including the ''Dreams''.

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 ==Weaving background of the Cao family==
-Cao Yin in the age of 17 was a bodyguard of the emperor and in April 1690 became a weaver in Suzhou and later in Jiangning. He secretly reported to Kangxi about the situation in Jiangnan. (Zeng 20#:14-15?)
+Cao Yin in the age of 17 was a bodyguard of the emperor and in April 1690 became a weaver in Suzhou and later in Jiangning. He secretly reported to Kangxi about the situation in Jiangnan. (Zeng 2011:14-15)
 ==Religious dresses==

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 ==Religious dresses==
-The playful combination of different traditions we can see also when a religious dress is described, which carries characteristics of different religions. Similarly, the Daoist monk and the Confucian priest appear together. Cao Xueqin wanted to show the richness and diversity, also with the many topics and societal levels of the novel. Even a variety of Christian motifs can be found, like when Jia Baoyu is not recognized by his father in chapter 120 and when he disappears, all parallel to Jesus Christ.(Zeng 20#:14-15?)
+The playful combination of different traditions we can see also when a religious dress is described, which carries characteristics of different religions. Similarly, the Daoist monk and the Confucian priest appear together. Cao Xueqin wanted to show the richness and diversity, also with the many topics and societal levels of the novel. Even a variety of Christian motifs can be found, like when Jia Baoyu is not recognized by his father in chapter 120 and when he disappears, all parallel to Jesus Christ. (Zeng 2011:14-15?)
 ==Buddhist elements in clothing==

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 Abandoning the paradise-like garden in the ''Red Chamber Dreams'' is a symbol for leaving the protected childhood and arriving in the complex world of adults. With George Lukács theory of the novel, the protagonist starts to problematize the sense of his life, in the novel, the protagonist’s self permanently struggles with his environment. However, Cao Xueqin’s message is not simply the one of “Paradise Lost”, instead he himself made the best out of his life.
-Although being less wealthy than when his family still enjoyed the favour of the emperor, there was a payroll system and a social net intact in Qing China, where he received enough income to be independent from his rich relatives, to be selective on accepting jobs, to live a relaxed life in a small house in the nature, spending time with his family and friends, follow his own interests, like reading, writing and drinking wine, making kites for the children, encouraging handicapped people to learn a decent craftsmanship and engaging for the poor. (Dong Bangda 1740?)###
+Although being less wealthy than when his family still enjoyed the favour of the emperor, there was a payroll system and a social net intact in Qing China, where he received enough income to be independent from his rich relatives, to be selective on accepting jobs, to live a relaxed life in a small house in the nature, spending time with his family and friends, follow his own interests, like reading, writing and drinking wine, making kites for the children, encouraging handicapped people to learn a decent craftsmanship and engaging for the poor. (Dong Bangda 1757)
 Cao Xueqin was fully aware of his time and China’s cultural achievements, he was familiar with the different levels of society, he was a detailed observer and skilful narrator. He may have conceptualized the ending of the novel as a discussion about the different personalities of the characters in the novel and therefore displaying his reflection about life and his psychological understanding of the diversity of human nature. He was able to grasp the “spirit of time” (Zeitgeist) and with his autobiographical experience create an eternal coming-of-age novel not just for his family, for the Qing-Chinese, for Chinese people, but for mankind.
-This tradition of Coming-of-age novels is also a European one, like enlightenment philosopher Voltaire’s novel ''Candide or Optimism''《老实人》shows at the very same time (1759) in Europe. Also Voltaire’s ''Candide'' has to leave the luxurious paradise of his childhood and strives for true love, but his main learning is more pessimistic, since Voltaire wrote the novel in opposition to Leibniz, who optimistically looked to China as “the best of all worlds”. Recent research findings (###) show that China had a much larger influence on European enlightenment philosophers and we can be sure, that also Cao Xueqin was aware of some European literary traditions.
+This tradition of Coming-of-age novels is also a European one, like enlightenment philosopher Voltaire’s novel ''Candide or Optimism''《老实人》shows at the very same time (1759) in Europe. Also Voltaire’s ''Candide'' has to leave the luxurious paradise of his childhood and strives for true love, but his main learning is more pessimistic, since Voltaire wrote the novel in opposition to Leibniz, who optimistically looked to China as “the best of all worlds”. Recent research findings (Kow 2016) show that China had a much larger influence on European enlightenment philosophers and we can be sure, that also Cao Xueqin was aware of some European literary traditions.
 Also the German readership is familiar with the chronological following of the life of the protagonist and his development, the fate of a family over generations, the German readership knows this type of novel as the “Education novel” (Bildungsroman) or “Coming-of-age-novel” (Entwicklungsroman). In Germany, the genre of the coming-of-age novel has a long tradition and is shaped more by single characters, who appear as teachers (Goethe: ''Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship'' 威廉·麦斯特的学徒岁月 1795-96, Novalis 诺瓦利斯: ''Heinrich von Ofterdingen''《海因利·封·歐福特丁根》1802). Wilhelm Meister, parallely to Jia Baoyu, is struggling with the traditional education, in ''Wilhelm Meister'' this is represented with the classics revived in Shakespeare’s dramas. Tradition can give orientation, but the personality of the protagonist needs to develop through emancipation. This is a wisdom we can learn from all mentioned novels including the ''Dreams''.

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 ==Comparison to Western novels in the 20th century==
 In 1934, also Chinese critics start to compare the Red Chamber Dreams to Western novels,
-Li Chendong stated in a preface to the novel#: "We believe that the difference between Eastern and Western civilizations lies only in type, not in degree of development. In the field of literature, Italy has Dante's ''Divine Comedy'', Britain has Shakespeare's plays, Spain has Cervantes' ''Don Quixote'', Germany has Goethe's ''Faust'', France has Balzac's ''Human Comedy'', and Russia has Tolstoy's ''War and Peace''." He ends with the rhethorical question: "What masterpieces in China can stand alongside these European masterpieces?" (Li 1934:6-7) He meant the ''Red Chamber Dreams'' and claimed to adopt the method of "Etude Comparative Studies", to compare the novel with European masterpieces (Li 1934:7). He evaluated the novel from the viewpoint of Western critics studying Western masterpieces.
+Lee Chentong stated in a preface to his Redology studies: "We believe that the difference between Eastern and Western civilizations lies only in type, not in degree of development. In the field of literature, Italy has Dante's ''Divine Comedy'', Britain has Shakespeare's plays, Spain has Cervantes' ''Don Quixote'', Germany has Goethe's ''Faust'', France has Balzac's ''Human Comedy'', and Russia has Tolstoy's ''War and Peace''." He ends with the rhethorical question: "What masterpieces in China can stand alongside these European masterpieces?" (Lee 1934:6-7) He meant the ''Red Chamber Dreams'' and claimed to adopt the method of "Etude Comparative Studies", to compare the novel with European masterpieces (Lee 1934:7). He evaluated the novel from the viewpoint of Western critics studying Western masterpieces.
 In the 1930s, Xu Songnian, Wu Yitai, Li Chendong, Guo Linge, Lu Yuehua and other Chinese students studying in France translated and studied the ''Red Chamber Dreams'', which promoted its translation and dissemination in France. They often cited western literary theories to explain and analyze the novel, compared it with European literary masterpieces, promoted academic exchanges between China and the West, and made important contributions to establishing the status of Cao Xueqin and the ''Red Chamber Dreams'' part of world literature. (Zhang 2020:262)