Although it was associated with the myths of Nuwa, the image of “Hard Rock” in the Dreams in Red Mansions was not a primary element but a variation of the myths in the course of dissemination. The image of “Hard Rock” was derived from traditions of poetry in the Tang and the Song Dynasty based on the distinct experience of “shabby scholars” held by scholars in ancient China. What’s more, writings Ye Xie and the like added to the image the enlightening value of resisting against the mainstream culture and preserving true personal character and sentiment. Therefore, the image of “Hard Rock” in the Dreams in Red Mansions was reproduction of the prototype of “Hard Rock” in Chinese literary tradition, the moral in which was derived from both literary experience and writing.

the myths of Nuwa; the Dreams in Red Mansions; the image of “Hard Rock”