Biểu tượng gương, nước mắt và cánh cửa trong tiểu thuyết Hồng Lâu Mộng

Abstract

This article examines three representative symbols in Dream of the Red Chamber, including the mirror, tears, and the door to clarify the role of the symbolic system in constructing the artistic world and expressing the work’s humanistic thought. Drawing on the poetics of imagery, the study reinterprets the text through the relationship between artistic representation and the philosophy of human existence. The analysis reveals that the mirror not only reflects reality but also symbolizes the boundary between the real and the illusory, while simultaneously foreshadowing the characters’ fates. Tears, associated with Lin Daiyu as a “predestined return of tears,” embody both tragedy and the spirit of female resistance. The door symbolizes transformation and the yearning for freedom, representing the transition between different realms of being. Through decoding these three symbols, the study demonstrates that Cao Xueqin employed symbolism as a distinctive mode of artistic thought to convey profound reflections on human existence and the spirit of humanism in classical Chinese literature.