心比天高 身为下贱——试论晴雯的悲剧性格和悲剧命运

High Mind vs Low Birth——Qingwen:The Tragic Character in Dream of the Red Chamber

悲剧主体的悲剧性局面的出现,除历史背景、社会环境等客观原因外,个人的性格、意志是否符合客观实际等主观原因也是造成悲剧的重要因素。晴雯"心"与"身"之间无法弥合的差距,构成了她性格与命运的对立和冲突,而这种"身"与"心"的不平衡状态使她最终付出了生命的代价,这是值得人们深思的。

In Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin, Qingwen,a maidservant in a wealthy feudal family, is dramatically depicted as assuming a noble and majestic state of mind against a humble origin. The striking contrast therein inevitably gives rise to a conflict and tension between the heroine's character and fate, which eventually brings about an inescapable sacrifice of her life. Qingwen's case fortifies literary critics' argument that a protagonist can be defeated by a combination of social and historical circumstances as well as any tragic flaw in the main hero's character. 