Cao Xueqin, The Story of the Stone Flashcards
Summary
The novel provides a detailed, episodic record of the two branches of the wealthy and aristocratic Jia (賈) clan—the Rongguo House (榮國府) and the Ningguo House (寧國府)—who reside in two large, adjacent family compounds in the capital. Their ancestors were made Dukes and given imperial titles, and as the novel begins the two houses are among the most illustrious families in the city. One of the clan’s offspring was made an Imperial Consort, and a lush landscaped garden was built to receive her visit. The novel describes the Jias’ wealth and influence in great naturalistic detail, and charts the Jias’ fall from the height of their prestige, following some thirty main characters and over four hundred minor ones. Eventually the Jia clan falls into disfavor with the Emperor, and their mansions are raided and confiscated.
In the novel’s frame story, a sentient Stone, abandoned by the goddess Nüwa when she mended the heavens aeons ago, begs a Taoist priest and a Buddhist monk to bring it with them to see the world. The Stone, along with a companion (while in Cheng-Gao versions they are merged into the same character), was then given a chance to learn from the human existence, and enters the mortal realm.
The main character of the novel is the carefree adolescent male heir of the family, Jia Baoyu. He was born with a magical piece of “jade” in his mouth. In this life he has a special bond with his sickly cousin Lin Daiyu, who shares his love of music and poetry. Baoyu, however, is predestined to marry another cousin, Xue Baochai, whose grace and intelligence exemplifies an ideal woman, but with whom he lacks an emotional connection. The romantic rivalry and friendship among the three characters against the backdrop of the family’s declining fortunes forms the main story in the novel.[
Jia Baoyu
The main protagonist is about 12 or 13 years old when introduced. born with a piece of luminescent jade in his mouth (the Stone), Baoyu is highly intelligent, but dislikes the fawning bureaucrats that frequent his father’s house. A sensitive and compassionate individual, he has a special relationship with many of the women in the house.
Lin Daiyu
Jia Baoyu’s younger first cousin and his primary love interest. reincarnation of a flower. daughter of Lin Ruhai. She is sickly, but beautiful in a way that is unconventional. She also suffers from a respiratory ailment. extremely accomplished poet and musician. one of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling
Xue Baochai
Jia Baoyu’s other first cousin.. The novel describes her as beautiful and intelligent. Her marriage to Baoyu is seen in the book as predestined.
Jia Yuanchun
Baoyu’s elder sister. Impressed the emperor and became a Imperial Consort. Despite her high position, she still feels as a slave, stuck inside of the walls of her palace.
Grandmother Jia
Grandmother to both Baoyu and Daiyu, she is the highest living authority in the Rongguo house and the oldest and most respected of the entire clan,
Qingwen
Bayou’s personal Maid. Brash Haughty and the most beautiful maid in the household. The only one who would dare argue with Bayou
Li Wan
Baoyu’s elder sister-in-law, widow of Baoyu’s deceased elder brother, Jia Zhu (賈珠). Her primary task is to bring up her son Lan and watch over her female cousins. The novel portrays Li Wan, a young widow in her late twenties, as a mild-mannered woman with no wants or desires, the perfect Confucian ideal of a proper mourning widow. She eventually attains high social status due to the success of her son at the Imperial Exams, but the novel sees her as a tragic figure because she wasted her youth upholding the strict standards of behavior.
Jia Qiaojie
Wang Xifeng’s and Jia Lian’s daughter. She is a child through much of the novel. After the fall of the house of Jia, in the version of Gao E and Cheng Weiyuan, she marries the son of a wealthy rural family introduced by Granny Liu and goes on to lead a happy, uneventful life in the countryside.
