62 pages • 2 hours read
Dream of the Red Chamber, Volume 1
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
The Story of the Stone, also known as The Dream of the Red Chamber, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of China. Cáo Xuěqín wrote the work sometime in the 18th century, during the Qing dynasty—the last volume in the five-volume sequence was compiled and published many years later by Gao-E, who added additional chapters to complete the unfinished work. Many scholars consider the novel to be semi-autobiographical; Cáo Xuěqín was part of an eminent family that rose and fell during the Qing dynasty. The novel is significant in its portrayal of Chinese life during this period and for its linguistic innovations; Cáo Xuěqín wrote the novel in the Beijing Mandarin dialect rather than the traditional Classical Chinese. Later, linguists used the text to establish the vocabulary of Beijing Mandarin vernacular. This study guide covers Volume I: The Golden Days.
The volume opens with a cosmic scene: A goddess creates a series of stones to construct the heavens and leaves one stone behind. Two monks who appear throughout the novel, Impervioso and Mysterioso, take this stone. The goddess inscribes the stone with stories and messages and then sends it down to Earth with Impervioso and Mysterioso by the fairy Unlock all 62 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
