《紅樓夢》中的神話破譯──兼含女性主義的再詮釋

A New Interpretation of the Myths in The Dream of the Red Chamber-Rethinking from the Perspective of Feminist Critique

本文探討《紅樓夢》如何融裁傳統神話內涵以為人物情節乃至全書架構的塑造之用，並深入剖析其中之文本象徵意義。就女媧補天神話而言：1.補天者「女媧」所隱含的母神崇拜，可從「腸」與「蛙」提供新的形象建構與功能說明；2.「補天」行動所隱含的「末世」背景：既點出賈府運勢之大環境，也用以突顯王熙鳳與賈探春救世之努力與落空的悲壯；3.「補天被棄」之石：這固然彰顯其「至堅」之石性與「畸於人而侔於天」的畸零處境，以為「個體逍遙」理想的落實，但也設定了賈寶玉「脫母入父」的失敗與身分認同的曖昧失據。至於「絳珠仙草」與「娥皇女英」兩個神話，主要是用以詮釋林黛玉「淚盡而逝」的性格特質與終極命運，其中所蘊含「致命愛情」與「嬰兒女神」的意義，則反映了男尊女卑的文化事實，而鞏固了既有的性別結構。

The Dream of the Red Chamber begins its narrative by introducing and modifying the traditional myth of Nu Wa Patches up the Sky (女媧補天). This paper interprets this myth, connecting it to the novel's structure construction and the figure design about the novel's two principals. First, it is analyzed that the sky repairer in the myth, Nu-wa, implies goddess worship. Second, the eschatological implication of the repairing-heaven action is discussed, relating to the tragedy of Jia Family's declining destiny and the futile effort of Wang Xi-fong & Jia Tan-chuen's trying to rescue this fate. Third, the (self-created) myth of one abandoned stone among those built to repair heaven is carefully analyzed in relation to the figure design of Jia Bao-yu. Last, two myths of Crimson Pearl and E-huang & Nu-ing are analyzed in relation to the figure design of Lin Dai-Yu.