《紅樓夢》仲夏女兒節: 端午期間的香藥、姻緣與娛樂

The Double Fifth Festival in Honglou meng (HML, The Story of the Stone) emphasizes t he negative influence of the midsummer heatwave on human's physical and mental health, which causes the explosions of conflicts and tragedies under the illusory festive joy. The writing of ritualistic activities is inspired by the Women's Festival in urban celebrations of the Double Fifth in the Qing dynasty, including buying fragrant species and medicine, proposing engagement and getting married, as well as religious entertainments of visiting temples and watching plays. However, this festival in HML, instead of aiming for realism, constitutes a "carnivalesque" celebration that features anomalous equality and eccentricity, toppling the social order of class and gender. The Double Fifth rituals are comprehensive but ineffective, as characters turn to medical and religious resorts but fail to appease the temper, indulging in extreme emotions and leading to morbidity as if drunk or dreaming. From the pathological perspective of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), this paper examines the social disorder and ritual inefficacy during carnivalesque Double Fifth in HLM, exploring how the midsummer as a natural season shapes literary rhetoric and humanity portrayal.