Cross-Culture Comparison Between A Dream in the Red Chamber and The Tales of Genji

Abstract

The works A Dream in the Red Chamber as well as The Tales of Genji are both famous masterpieces of literature that represent their distinct cultures. Given the proximity of the years in which they were created, this paper compares the similarities and differences between the main characters—Baoyu and Genji, Murasaki and Daiyu, Baochai and Aoi—of the two books and analyzes the results using history and cultural elements. Based pn the existing resources from other previous papers about this topic and historical texts from this period, the paper is composed with the support of objective evidence. Literature is the epitome of local culture, so the actions of characters reflect the criteria of societal roles. The result of this cross-cultural comparison concludes that the Qing Dynasty and Heian periods have similar religious structures and marriage systems. Yet, their cultures have different origins, and the characters have some individual variations.