《紅樓夢》中襲人轉蓬般之性命

作者:許玫芳(龍華科技大學通識教育中心)

卷期：50卷第1期
日期：2005年4月
頁碼：1-16
DOI：10.6210/JNTNULL.2005.50(1).01

摘要：

自幼被賣入榮府之襲人，影寫著古代窮人鬻子求生之常例，但因先後服侍榮府之威權者多人，一迴三轉，雖是個富屋貧婢，不過卻人微言重。其一生似轉蓬般之性命有著非典型之婢妾生態。本論文將探討襲人之性格、情感與醫病問題。襲人辭義溫雅，賢善近人且能變通適會，在榮府賈家吐納間實為《紅樓夢》眾女子「貴德慎行」之典謨，即使仍有私心自適之處，卻溫和而不傷人；其對寶玉之針砭乃從思維及語序中指事配位，積極而正向。襲人之情感世界與時乖違，對寶玉神專而心苦，然因其具隨緣應物之氣質，故情路雖有秋氣之悲，實無途窮之憾，在嫁給蔣玉菡時更深感「福善禍淫，古今定理」。至於襲人的前後二次吐血，前者可能是因食道或鼻咽出血之吐血症，後者看似肺癆。襲人乃《紅樓夢》中多數因吐血或咳血隕身而亡者之例外。能勇敢面對橫逆，在《紅樓夢》中恐仍是少數。襲人性格柔中帶剛及穩重不煩之風異於《紅樓夢》中所有情感受挫而選擇自殺者，是個少有的「轉念成功」之重要代表人物，一個發慮至情，也是將「大智若愚」表現極為得體之人。

關鍵詞：紅樓夢、襲人、貴德慎行之典謨、柔中帶剛之性格、大智若愚　

《詳全文》

Xi-ren's Wind-Blown Fate in The Dream of The Red Chamber

Author: Mei-fang Xu (Center of General Education, Lunghwa University of Science and Technology)

Vol.&No.：Vol. 50, No. 1
Date：April 2005
Pages：1-16
DOI：10.6210/JNTNULL.2005.50(1).01

Abstract：

In The Dream of The Red Chamber the young girl Xi-ren, like many other sons and
daughters of poor families, was sold to Rong-fu, the mansion of the rich and authoritarian Bao-yu. She serves here as a virtual slave and yet her position was important. Here I will inquire into Xi-ren's personality, emotions and disease.
 Xi-ren was very mild and flexible, and could serve as a model of virtue for the other
ladies in Rong-fu; although somewhat selfish she never wised to harm others. She worked very hard for Bao-yu, yet also taught him to think and talk in the proper way. But her inner world was sad, and she was resigned to having a sad fate. After she married to Yu-han Jiang, she realized “Those who do good deeds will be blessed, just as those who are wicked will suffer." As for Xi-ren throwing up blood two times: in the first time Xi-ren might be had gullet bleeding or nasopharyngeal bleeding, and in the second time Xi-ren seemed to be got tuberculosis.
Xi-ren is an exceptional character in the novel due to her strong will, perseverance and
ability to maintain a positive attitude in the face of suffering, though she had thought to commit suicide. In certain respects she can also represent the character type of the “wise fool.”

Keywords：The Dream of The Red Chamber, Xi-ren, model of virtue, soft/hard personality, wise fool