「林黛玉入府」的意義重探──歷史與神話學的解讀

A New Analysis of Lin Dai Yu's Entering the Jia Mansions in Dream of the Red Chamber - From the Perspective of History and Mythology

一般對於黛玉遷居賈府的過程與意義，只注意到乘轎從角門進去的描寫，且將之誤解為寄人籬下的寫照。透過清代貴宦制度與王府生活規範的釐清，可知實際上適得其反，林、賈二族的身分地位不僅門當戶對，於林如海這一代乃至林高於賈。尤其經由對黛玉依親之前因後果及其行旅過程的全盤探究，可知黛玉之入府隱含了神話學中「母體復歸」的意義，不僅入府的動因乃是母愛之填補與母教之銜接，其旅程中所乘之船與轎既是顯貴身分的表示，更預示入府後將獲得溫暖與權力。隨著成長的進程，黛玉終究跨出母性空間，被母愛所壓抑的母教恢復了銜接，而大觀園做為少女們婚前的長期住所，於母性空間之外又兼具了啟蒙、過渡的儀式空間，「住進大觀園」則為成長的一個儀式性過程，是童少過渡為成人的授禮的象徵化。

This paper reexamines the episode of “Lin Dai Yu's Entering the Jia Mansions” in the Dream of the Red Chamber. A popular and dominant understanding views this event as Lin's humble asking for relatives Jias' help. This line of interpretation often notices and emphasizes the fact that when Lin enters the Jia Mansions, her sedan chair is via a corner door. However, I point out that this is a misconception about normal rules of Princes' palaces in Qing Dynasty and show that Lin's father actually has a status match and even a little superior to Jias. After establishing this conclusion, I propose a mythological interpretation of this episode, viewing this event as a rite of maternal regression. The meaning of Lin's entering Jia Mansions is a compensation to her want of maternal love and a continuation of her maternal education. The vessel and sedan chair Lin took on her journey are also symbols of cradle. Her entering the Jia Mansions betokens and promises that Lin would afterwards receive warmth and love. After her young girl years in Da Guan Yuan, Lin finally steps out of maternal space and completes her rite of passage.