論《紅樓夢》對小說文類的自我反省

Dream of the Red Chamber as Auto-critique of the Genre ＂Novel＂

《紅樓夢》為明清六大奇書之一，乃傳統說部之傑作，然而，《紅樓夢》的獨特性並非明清文人小說（Ming-Qing Literati Novels）所能涵蓋，甚至全然應在小說範疇之外尋求。以創作者的階層屬性與身分認同、小說作為「非文化」的文類定位、明清社會風潮的庶民走向，在在使得曹雪芹的書寫面臨了雅／俗、貴／賤的衝突與矛盾，因而帶有自我掙扎的成分，乃至進行文類的自我反省時，並不僅只是著重於技巧、形式的美學改善，而重在「真富貴敘事」的情理呈現，其自我合理化的努力，便是針對「治身治家」此一小說「雖小道必有可觀者」的唯一價值，透過貴族文化進行文類的提升。由此也確證曹雪芹乃明末心學、泰州學派的反對者，而實為程朱理學的支持者。

Dream of the Red Chamber is one of the Six great Novels of Ming and Qing Dynasties and admired as a masterpiece of Traditional Novels, this article contends that the specificity of Dream of the Red Chamber lies beyond Ming-Qing Literati Novels, and beyond the genre Traditional Novels. Indeed, the genre Traditional Novels is traditionally classified as ＂non-culture＂ and further, the Ming-Qing Literati Novels develop itself in a ＂common people-oriented＂ social change. This article analysis the elegance/vulgarity and nobleness/lowliness conflicts and oppositions in Dream of the Red Chamber and views them as its author's self-struggle. The struggle shows forth in the author's aesthetic improvements in narrative techniques and forms, and also shows forth in his content-an ＂authentic＂ narrative of ＂sense and sensibility＂ in the Rich and Honour. Such self-struggle is Cao Xue Qin's reflection on the genre Traditional Novels and in particular the Ming-Qing Literati Novels. It also constitutes an auto-critique of the genre Traditional Novels: To fulfill the traditional justification-＂being a trivial art but could have something worthy＂-novels should, in their authentic narratives, have something helpful for ethical-reasonably ＂disciplining the character and ruling the house＂. Thus, it is also confirmed that Cao Xue Qin is opposed to the late Ming's mind philosophy and Taizhou School and he is actually a supporter of Cheng Zhu's Neo-Confucianism.