《紅樓夢》之中秋節的蘊意分析

The Motif of Mid-Autumn Festival in ”The Dream of the Red Chamber”

中秋節屬於中國傳統重要的民俗節日，其象徵家族團圓之節旨，與《紅樓夢》所述家族盛衰故事至為切合。故事前後共出現三次過中秋節的時機，以第三次過節描述最為詳盡豐富，亦蘊涵最多有利發展情節、彰顯主題的敘事線索。於是把握家族團圓之節日象徵，各別聯繫賈家寧、榮二府所安排中秋過節活動，因徒有節儀形式而無實質用心，呈現賈府逐步經營節日同時亦逐步消解節氛。又且節間人物言行與活動細節，均隱含來日釀就悲劇之肇因，不論對個人婚戀或家族盛衰主題皆予充分預示和點染。敘事一貫於樂中寫哀，以節日為特殊的敘事節點，遂打造節慶時空反為集結不祥、揭示宿命之場合。

The motif of the Mid-Autumn Festival in “The Dream of the Red Chamber” refers to the actual festival at the time and constitutes the backdrop of the novel’s theme of reunion. In the novel, the motif of the Mid-Autumn Festival appears three times, with the third time carrying the most detailed description of this motif and its connection to the theme of reunion. Indeed, the motif of the Mid-Autumn Festival leads to more of a tragic ending than a happy one, either in terms of individuals’ marriages or of the development of the whole family, since Chias as well as Zongs have made the festival a sheer routine event without any dedicating participation of the family members.