Dream of the Red Chamber. Significance of Granny Liu in Dreams of the Red Chamber

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Significance of Granny Liu in Dreams of the Red Chamber
           Granny Liu is a rustic older woman who contrasts a number of things in Dreams of the Red Chamber including, urban and rural life as well as poor and lavish lives. It is through Granny Liu’s contrasts that the author highlights her significances in the novel. The character is significant in the play for many reasons. Among the several significances presented through Granny Liu, one that outwardly stands out is the representation of a simple modern person, who is overwhelmed with the lavish new environment to an extent that he or she becomes oblivious of the mocking from colleagues. The author of the novel, Cao Xueqin successfully, presents this character through Granny Liu, who in her two visits to Rongguo mansion, is made fun of without realizing that she is being mocked. For instance, at one point in the novel, the author describes how the Chia family laughs at her lines in a collective poem before encouraging her to take more alcohol, which makes her to collapse on Pao-Yu’s bed. Here, it is clear that The Chia family is making fun of her yet, she thinks that everyone is acting normal.
The other significance of Granny Liu in the novel is that through her, the plight of young ladies in China during the ancient days is highlighted. Critical among the issues affecting young ladies in the novel raised through Granny Liu’s character is the practice of marrying ...