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Deification of Flowers and its Deconstruction: The Comparison and Connection between “The Flower Gods” in The Peony Pavilion and Fairies represented by “Jinghuan” in the Land of Illusion in The Dream of the Red Chamber

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DOI: 10.25236/iclahd.2019.051

Author(s)

Huang Xiaoqian

Corresponding Author

Huang Xiaoqian

Abstract

This article trying to analyzing the connection between The Peony Pavilion牡丹亭and The Dream of the Red Chamber紅樓夢 from the perspective of “Flower” and “Flower God花神” with the comparison of their effect and content in two books. Beautiful “Garden” is the same environment for two stories with profound meaning. As a folk belief, “Twelve Flower Gods十二花神” has appeared in both books, especially the similar appearance of flower fairies in The Interrupted Dream驚夢 the 10th scene[1] in The Peony Pavilion and Chia Pao-yu wanders in spirit in the region of the Great Vacancy賈寶玉神遊太虛幻境 the 5th chapter of The Dream of the Red Chamber[2] both to encourage the lust between male and female. Nevertheless, the significance of “Flower God” is different, the deification of “Flowers” in The Peony Pavilion justified the rationality of the love and sex between two roles with the color of myth. Meanwhile the “Flower God” is the characteristics of “Human”. The head of the flower god “Jinghuan Fairy警幻仙姑” had in-depth talk about lust with Baoyu and instructed him about sex, which deconstructed the instance between the “Wonderland” and “World” reflecting Cao Xueqin曹雪芹’s further comprehension of “Qing (love)”. The deconstruction of “Flower God” in The Dream of the Red Chamber is corresponding with the deification of “Flowers” in The Peony Pavilion. It proves Cao Xueqin’s recognition and reflection of Tang Xianzu湯顯祖’s view of “Pure Love至情” and proposed the view of “Lust of Mind意淫” to distinguish the love of the body and the soul.

Keywords

Flower; Flower God; The Peony Pavilion; The Dream of the Red Chamber