《紅樓夢》中的「紅杏」與「紅梅」：李紈論

《紅樓夢》中的李紈，乃是趨近於扁平的次要人物。但本文藉由敘事學中人物形象的建構原則，發現曹雪芹固然是透過人物特徵之重複與累積等手法，而塑造出李紈槁木死灰的整體形象，但其實他還藉由對比與轉變的策略，進一步將李紈突破為辯證發展式的立體人物。首先，稻香村那「青山斜阻」與「竹籬茅舍邊噴火蒸霞一般數百株杏花」的安排，正是禮教之箝制與生命本能之突圍的象徵，恰恰與妙玉所居櫳翠庵的「幽閉山懷」與「皚皚白雪中胭脂般十數枝紅梅」的構圖有著異曲同工之妙；而其隱微不顯的生命本能，則表現在對妙玉的嫌惡、對王熙鳳的口出罵語，以及兩次對財貨的特殊計較與非常熟悉上。至於李紈身上那白梅／紅杏（禮教／自然）的矛盾統一關係，還進一步形成老梅／紅梅（李紈／妙玉）的同質對立關係，同時藉由賈寶玉的軒輊品評，而彰顯出曹雪芹對人性發展的價值取向。

關鍵字

李紈；妙玉；紅杏；紅梅；白梅；圓形人物；立體分析

並列摘要

This paper analyzes Li-Uan by the constructive principle of characters in narratology. It shows that Tz'ao, on the one hand, gives Li-Uan a general image of 'living corpse' through the technique of repeating and accumulating the depictions of her characteristics, on the other hand , also dialectically presents her as a three-dimensional character by strategies of contrasts and transforssmation. Thus, Li-Uan is not merely a near-flat minor role in ”The Dream of Red Chamber” as it appears. First, the dwelling place of Li-Uan, where 'green mountains obliquely resist' and 'hundreds of apricots prosper', is the symbol of both the oppression of Confucianism and the breaking-out of life instinct. Note that this pattern is homomorphous to that of the dwelling place of Miao-Yu where 'mountains lonely embrace' and 'more than ten red plum flower sprays appear in white snow'. This homomorphism suggests the homogenous aspect between Li-Uan and Miao-Yu. Second, Li-Uan's life instinct, which is usually obscurely present, reveals itself in some special events, as this paper fully analyzes. Third, the contradiction unity in the pair white-plum-flower/red-apricot-flower (Confucianism/nature) further reinforces the opposition homogeneity of old-plum-flower/red-plum-flower (Li-Uan/Miao-Yu). And Tz'au's values of personality development reveals itself through Chia Pao-Yu's criticism of Li-Uan and Miao-Yu.