A Study of the Power Relationship of the Jia Family's Daughter-in-Law Group in The Dream of the Red Chamber《红楼梦》

Abstract

This article aims to study and analyze the power relationship of the main character's daughter-in-law and the secondary daughter-in-law, including the daughter-in-law's relationship with other characters in the Jia family that appear in The dream of the Red Chamber. By studying The Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin and Gao'e, totaling 120 chapters, the researcher uses the principle of power relations of people in society according the basic social relationship principle and ethical principles to treat each other as the conceptual framework of this research. The results revealed that the model and method of building power relationship discovered from the study of the daughter-in-law character in the Jia family had 3 types of relationship patterns: Society 2. Building power relationships through kinship 3. Building power relationships based on superiority. For the model of using and expanding the power base of the character's daughter-in-law, there are all 3 types: 1. Power base expansion through the blood system 2. Power base expansion through the patronage system that the daughter-in-law provides care and support 3. Power base expansion through giving you punishment which the model of such power relationship it illustrates the power-changing dynamics that the daughter-in-law needs to adapt to the life of the Jia family under the feudal society. However, the powers that the daughter-in-law try to maintain and inherit to the heirs must inevitably be tied to the husband and attached to the patriarchal system of relations in society.