Redology

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Redology (Chinese: 紅學) is the study of the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber. There are many researchers in this field, who can be divided into four general groups. The first group is the commentators, such as Zhou Chun, Xu Fengyi, Chen Yupi, and others. The second group is the index group, which mainly includes Wang Mengruan and Cai Yuanpei. The third group is the textual critics, including Hu Shi and Yu Pingbo. The final group is the literary thought group. There are quite a few researchers in this group, most notably Zhou Ruchang.

Critical thought - comprising scholars such as Zhou Chun, Xu Fengyi and Chen Yupi;
Allegorical thought - comprising scholars such as Wang Mengruan and Cai Yuanpei;
Investigative thought - principally Hu Shi, Yu Pingbo and Zhou Ruchang;
Literary thought.

[edit] Intensive and Extensive Research

Professor Liang Guizhi divides redological research into two areas: intensive research, or research into realist novels of ancient times as represented by Dream of the Red Chamber, and extensive research, which deals with texts written on its setting and background.

There are four branches of intensive research:

Cao Studies: research into the family history and life of Cao Xueqin and how he is related to the novel.
Comparative Studies: chiefly concerned with distinguishing between Zhi Yanzhai's editions (of which there are currently more than thirteen) and the unadulterated original (block-print edition). Research in comparative studies is also primarily involved with handwritten copies as they may bear closer resemblance to the original manuscripts.
Zhi Studies: as Zhi Yanzhai (aka Red Inkstone) was known to be a close friend of Cao Xueqin through whose notes can be found the original plot of chapters 80 onwards and anecdotal evidence of real-life circumstances from Cao's life.
Investigative Studies: investigates the plot of the final 40 chapters in reference to that of the first 80.

Research in later periods are built on these foundations. For example, recently, renowned writer Liu Xinwu has authored Qin Studies, the culmination of a decade of research into Qin Keqing's pioneering research on Dream of the Red Chamber.

[edit] Redological Schools

Most people believe that these can be divided into three schools: allegorical, archetypal and literary.

Professor Liang Guizhi believes that there are four schools of redological study:

The school of literary criticism initiated from a Western literary perspective of the novel, adopted by Wang Guowei from the philosophical thought of Schopenhauer.
The school of allegory that links Dream of the Red Chamber to historical events during the Qing dynasty, later represented by Cai Yuanpei, or Bao Jiadong's claim that the novel is a general account of culture within the Eight Banners system of the Qing dynasty.
The largely refuted school that claims, as in Divided Dream of the Red Chamber co-written by Huo Guoling, Huo Lijun and Huo Jiping, that Cao Xueqing wrote the novel for a girl whom he admired, who later entered the palace as consort to the Yongzheng Emperor; Cao, in order to realize his political ideals, plotted with her in the fatal poisoning of the emperor, but was then usurped of would-be political rights by the Qianlong Emperor.
The investigative school as represented by Hu Shi and Yu Pingbo, advocating that the novel was in at least some part autobiographical; this school is the brainchild of Zhou Ruchang, the founder of the comparative studies branch and the initiator of the school of literary thought within redology. Zhou is responsible for raising redological research to its peak within Chinese culture and for creating its current sense of reverence and prestige while at the same time pointing out its failings; he believes that Dream of the Red Chamber is a 'universal key' to the culture of China.

[edit] Redological Disputes

There are a vast number of redologists and so controversies are hard to avoid; according to Liu Mengqi's records there have been 17 controversies to date involving nine public debates, four unsolved disputes and three unresolved mysteries.

17 controversies