英文摘要 |
"This paper argues that the occurrence, processes, and purpose of needlework activities as well as the acceptance, destruction, and mending of embroidered items in Dream of the Red Chamber not only hold economic value for the Jia 賈 family, but also imply multiple layers of meaning. As a gender-specific activity for women, the origin of needlework can be traced back to the cultural codification derived from gendered division of labor, namely “men tilling and women weaving” 男耕女織, belief in Zhinü 織女, the goddess of weaving, and rituals performed for Double Seventh Festival. By using embroidery as clues, we can first unveil how these activities are endowed with the connotation of “female virtue” 婦功, as well as revealing the existence of rivalries among characters when the significance of needlecraft deviates from “ethical value” and drifts into the realm of “monetary value.” The present paper then takes the female character Qingwen 晴雯, who is gifted in needlework, as an example to elucidate the close relationship between the culturally codified needlework and rituals performed for Double Seventh Festival, and to observe both how embroidery functions as an important medium to convey the affection of unmarried women and how the Grand View Garden,or Prospect Garden, is no place for such affection. Furthermore, it also explains why Double Seventh Festival, popular among the general public, is not found within the pages of Dream of the Red Chamber. While the 120-chapter original version of Dream of the Red Chamber demonstrates the affection of “daughters” through needlework, the sequels focus on ethics of “mothers,” thus highlighting diverging concerns over emphasizing affection versus propriety. Finally, from a reflective perspective, this paper examines how the sequels, in their attempts to “make up for regrets” left behind by the original version, transform private needlework activities in the original version into collective activities, as represented by ouble Seventh Festival, to fulfill the worldly desire to put family affairs in order." |