Gao E (writer)
Encyclopedia
Gao E was a Chinese scholar and editor. He was a Qing Dynasty
scholar who attained the level of juren in 1788 and jinshi in 1795. He was a Han Chinese
who belonged to the Bordered Yellow Banner
. In 1801 he became a Fellow of the Hanlin Academy
. His courtesy name was Yunfu (雲甫) and style name Lanshu (蘭塾，"Orchid Study-Place")
In 1791, together with his partner Cheng Weiyan, he "recovered" the last forty chapters
of Cao Xueqin
's monumental novel Dream of the Red Chamber
(sometimes called "The Story of the Stone"). The nature and extent of his contributions to the work and the sources of his material are a matter of controversy, but it believed by a large number of modern orthodox Redologists that the last forty chapters was not written by Cao Xueqin. He also edited the first eighty chapters together with Cheng.
In 1921, Hu Shih
proposed that the last forty chapters of the 1791-2 Dream of the Red Chamber was written by Gao E himself. His proposition was accepted by many orthodox Redologist scholars, like Zhou Ruchang. Gao and Cheng's continuation is believed by some as a conspiracy
by the Qing Dynasty
Imperial court to hide the semi-autobiographical nature of the novel, which involves the politics
during the Yongzheng era. During the mid-20th century, the discovery of a pre-1791 "120 chapter manuscript" complicated the questions regarding Gao involvement. Irene Eber
found the discovered manuscript "seems to confirm Cheng and Gao's claim that they merely edited a complete manuscript, consisting of 120 chapters, rather than actually writing a portion of the novel."
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
scholar who attained the level of juren in 1788 and jinshi in 1795. He was a Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
who belonged to the Bordered Yellow Banner
Eight Banners
The Eight Banners were administrative divisions into which all Manchu families were placed. They provided the basic framework for the Manchu military organization...
. In 1801 he became a Fellow of the Hanlin Academy
Hanlin Academy
The Hanlin Academy was an academic and administrative institution founded in the eighth century Tang dynasty China by Emperor Xuanzong.Membership in the academy was confined to an elite group of scholars, who performed secretarial and literary tasks for the court. One of its main duties was to...
. His courtesy name was Yunfu (雲甫) and style name Lanshu (蘭塾，"Orchid Study-Place")
In 1791, together with his partner Cheng Weiyan, he "recovered" the last forty chapters
Cheng-Gao Versions
In the study of the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber, the Cheng-Gao versions or Cheng-Gao editions refer to two illustrated, woodblock print editions of the book published in 1791 and 1792. The 1791 version, produced at the year's end, is the novel's earliest print edition. It was...
of Cao Xueqin
Cao Xueqin
Cao Xueqin was a Qing Dynasty Chinese writer, best known as the author of Dream of the Red Chamber, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature...
's monumental novel Dream of the Red Chamber
Dream of the Red Chamber
Dream of the Red Chamber , composed by Cao Xueqin, is one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. It was composed in the middle of the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty. It is considered to be a masterpiece of Chinese vernacular literature and is generally acknowledged to be a pinnacle of...
(sometimes called "The Story of the Stone"). The nature and extent of his contributions to the work and the sources of his material are a matter of controversy, but it believed by a large number of modern orthodox Redologists that the last forty chapters was not written by Cao Xueqin. He also edited the first eighty chapters together with Cheng.
In 1921, Hu Shih
Hu Shih
Hu Shih , born Hu Hung-hsing , was a Chinese philosopher, essayist and diplomat. His courtesy name was Shih-chih . Hu is widely recognized today as a key contributor to Chinese liberalism and language reform in his advocacy for the use of written vernacular Chinese...
proposed that the last forty chapters of the 1791-2 Dream of the Red Chamber was written by Gao E himself. His proposition was accepted by many orthodox Redologist scholars, like Zhou Ruchang. Gao and Cheng's continuation is believed by some as a conspiracy
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
by the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
Imperial court to hide the semi-autobiographical nature of the novel, which involves the politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
during the Yongzheng era. During the mid-20th century, the discovery of a pre-1791 "120 chapter manuscript" complicated the questions regarding Gao involvement. Irene Eber
Irene Eber
Irene Eber is an Israeli Orientalist. She is Louis Frieberg Professor of East Asian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem at Jerusalem , and Senior Fellow of the Harry S. Truman Research Institute. She lives at Jerusalem...
found the discovered manuscript "seems to confirm Cheng and Gao's claim that they merely edited a complete manuscript, consisting of 120 chapters, rather than actually writing a portion of the novel."