Dream of the Red Chamber, Volume 1

Examine the connection between love or lust and anger in this text. How are the two connected, and what does it say about Confucianist values around romantic love?

Analyze the relationship between two characters bonded by other-worldly or cosmic circumstances (i.e. amulets, stones, similar appearance, names, etc.). In what ways is their relationship foreshadowed? What bonds them? How does their relationship symbolize larger ideas about morality or righteousness?

How does Big Jiao’s incident in Chapter 7 demonstrate the deep-seated nature of social custom and class hierarchy in Chinese culture? In what way has Big Jiao found his own source of power, outside class norms, wealth, and reputation?