贾宝玉：贾宝玉出身富贵。因为祖母疼爱，原系和姐妹们一处娇养惯了。这也正是他为什么喜欢在内帏厮混，不爱读书的原因之一。他虽淘气异常，但聪明乖觉，百个不及他一个。说起孩子话来也奇，他说：“女儿是水做的骨肉，男子是泥做的骨肉，我见了女儿便清爽，见了男子便觉浊臭逼人！”“因他自幼姐妹丛中长大……他便料定天地间灵淑之气，只钟于女子，男儿们不过是些渣滓浊沫而已。”其后有人写了《西江月》一词，批得极确，词曰：
无故寻愁觅恨，有时似傻如狂；纵然生得好皮囊，腹内原来草莽。
潦倒不通庶务，愚顽怕读文章；行为偏僻性乖张，那管世人诽谤！
Jia Baoyu： Jia Baoyu was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Because his grandmother’s alwaysdoted on him， he’s used to being spoilt with the girls. That’s one of the reasons why is he delighted in playingabout in the women’s apartments and taking no interest in books. Though he is remarkably mischievous， yetso clever you won’t find his equal in a hundred. And he says the strangest things for a child.“Girls are madeof water， men of mud，”he declares.“I feel clean and refreshed when I’m with girls but find men dirty andstinking.”“As a result of being brought up among girls... he had come to the conclusion that while humanbeings were the highest form of creation， the finest essences of nature were embodied in girls， men beingnothing but the dregs and scum.”Subsequently， someone gave an admirable picture of Baoyu in the versewritten to the melody The Moon over the West River：
Absurdly he courts care and melancholyAnd raves like any madman in his folly；For though endowed with handsome looks is he，His heart Lawless and refractory.
Too dense by far to understand his duty，Too stubborn to apply himself to study，Foolhardy in his eccentricity，He’s deaf to all reproach and obloquy.
贾宝玉生长在贵族家庭的姐妹和女仆之中。他发现贵族生活虚伪、可恶、腐败，一点儿都不喜欢。他厌恶所有追求金钱地位的男人，尔虞我诈，忘恩负义。他同情并尊重女性。他对女仆就如姐妹一般平等对待。他认为纯洁的美只有在天真无邪的年轻姑娘，包括出身低微的女仆中才能找到。因此，他极力避免参加与他同地位的其他人的娱乐和社交活动，他个人宁愿与他家大观园内天真正直的女孩子们混在一起。他的长辈因他持有非正统见解的倾向而鞭责他，他却全然不动。相反，在封建压迫的不断冲击下，他的叛逆性格变得更加强烈而坚定，在他爱上了林黛玉而他家长们却给他娶了薛宝钗时，他的叛逆达到了顶峰。
Jia Baoyu is bred up among his sisters and maids in an aristocratic family. He has no inclination for thearistocratic way of life， which he finds hypocritical， hateful and corrupt. He detests the pursuit of rank andwealth indulged in by other gentlemen who are trying to cheat or outwit one another， cutting down the tree thatgives them shade. He has sympathy for and respect women. He equally treats all the maids like his sisters.
To him， pure beauty is to be found in innocent young girls， including low born servant girls. Therefore， hedoes his best to avoid taking part in the pastimes and activities of others of his station. He personally prefersto mingle with the innocent and guileless young girls of the household in the Grand View Garden. He is quiteunmoved when his elders castigate him for his heretical inclinations. On the contrary his rebellious naturebecomes more ardent firm under the impact of constant feudal oppression， culminating in his falling in lovewith Lin Daiyu and his elders marrying him off to Xue Baichai.
贾宝玉性格异常，其淘气憨顽出于众小孩之外，更有几件千奇百怪口不能言的毛病：
他总爱“弄花儿，弄粉儿，偷着吃人嘴上擦的胭脂，有个爱红的毛病儿”。他非常喜爱女孩子。他是“千古情人独我痴”，“登时发起痴狂来”，“望先以情欲声色等事警其痴顽，或能使他跳出迷人圈子，入于正路”。总而言之，他“痴”，他为情“痴”，为爱“痴”。但他绝不是一个好色之徒，只是生性多情而已。他的情爱经历了一个从盲目，到热烈，到真诚，到情悟，到情绝几个阶段的渐进过程。那就是为什么他最终离开了他那年轻美丽、温柔贤惠的妻子宝钗的原因。他“男浊女清”的观念违反了封建社会传统的“男尊女卑”的观念。这也是为什么他被认为是那个时代的叛逆者的原因之一。
Jia Baoyu is no ordinary youth but more high-spirited and wilful than other boys， with someindescribably perverse streaks in his character： He is always fond of“playing about with girls’ cosmetics andpowder. He often likes to kiss the rouge on girls’ lips. He habitually runs after everything in red.”He caresfor girls too much. He is“the most passionate lover of all time”.“This instantly threw Baoyu into one ofhis frenzies”.“We beg you to warn him of the dangers of lusting after women， so that he may escape fromtheir snares and set his feet on the right path”. In a word， he’s crazy—crazy about passion and crazy withlove. But he is definitely not a lewd man and he is only born with a passionate nature. His love has undergonea gradual process from blind stage to passionate， to sincere， to understanding， to desperate stages. That’s whyhe has finally left his young and beautiful， gentle and virtuous wife Baochai. His idea that“men are dirtywhile women are clean”runs counter to the traditional feudal idea that men are superior to women. This isone of the reasons why he is considered as a rebel of his times.
宝玉素日本就懒与士大夫诸男人接谈，更不用说向他们学些仕途经济，以便将来应酬事务。他也最厌峨冠礼服贺吊往还等事情。每日一清早到祖母和母亲处请安后便回园中游玩，甘心为诸姐妹和丫头们充役服务。他怕读“四书五经”之类的正经书，但总爱读各种杂书，以便杂学旁收。他把一堆古今小说，并那飞燕、合德、则天、玉环的“外传”，与那传奇剧本放在床顶上，无人时便偷看。对《西厢记》《牡丹亭》等，他赞不绝口，说：“真是好文章！你要看，连饭也不想吃！”。他鄙视读书以求上进的人，给人家起个外号“禄蠹”，对参加科举考试以求功名利禄的人称为“国贼禄鬼”“沽名钓誉”，把那些正统书说成是前人无故生事，立意造言，原为引导后世的须眉浊物。关于科举考试的八股文，宝玉说：“更有时文八股一道，因平素深恶，说这原非圣贤之制撰，焉能阐发圣贤之奥，不过是后人饵名钓禄之阶。”他的上述言辞当时是违背忠孝之道的，而忠孝之道则是封建道德的核心，也是封建社会的立国根本。他父母时常要他用功读书，特别是他父亲对他非常严格，一再说：“就是做得几句诗词，也并不怎么样，有什么稀罕处？比如应试选举，到底以文章为主。你这上头倒没有一点儿功夫。我可嘱咐你：自今日起，再不许做诗做对的了，单要习学八股文章。
限你一年，若毫无长进，你也不用念书了，我也不愿有你这样的儿子了。”并对宝玉的老师说：“我今日自己送他来，因要求托一番。这孩子年纪也不小了，到底要学个成人的举业，才是终身立身成名之事。”宝玉的老师也说：“为什么不念书，只是心野贪玩？诗词一道，不是学不得的，只要发达了以后，再学还不迟呢。”但宝玉却说：“我最厌这些道学话。更可笑的，是八股文章，拿他诓功名，混饭吃，也罢了，还要说‘代圣贤立言’！”宝玉有负父母师长养育教诲之恩。因此，他被认为是不肖的孽障，是不孝之子。他不爱四书、八股文和科举考试，那就意味着他不愿接受爵位来为国为皇上效劳。因而，他是个不忠之徒。不忠不孝使得宝玉成了封建社会的一个叛逆者。
Baoyu has an inveterate dislike of entertaining literati and officials or men in general， let alone learnfrom them something about the world and administration， which may help him to manage his own affairsin future. He also hates putting on ceremonial dress to pay calls， return visits or offer congratulations orcondolences. Every day after paying his respects early in the morning to his grandmother and mother hespends the rest of the day amusing himself in the Garden， often glad to idle away his time by offering hisservices to the girls and maids. He hates serious books， such as The Four Books and The Five Classics butgives all his time to all kinds of unorthodox books so as to acquire miscellaneous knowledge. He even keepsa pile of novels old and new， tales about imperial concubines and empresses， as well as romantic librettoson the canopy over his bed to read when he is alone. He keeps on singing praises of the Western Chamber，The Peony Pavilion， etc.“They’re real masterpieces！”he often says，“You won’t be able to give a thoughtto eating once you start reading them.”He sneers at those who study hard so as to get on and gives them anickname“career-grubbers”. He also calls those who take part in the Imperial Examinations so as to seekofficial positions and riches“time-servers and place-seekers”，“fishing for fame and reputation”. Hesays that the orthodox books are all the fault of the ancients who had nothing better to do than coin maximsand codes to control stupid， uncouth men. About the eight-section essays in the Imperial Examinations，Baoyu said that there were the fashionable eight-section essays which he had always loathed， taking the viewthat as these were not written by sages or worthies they could not expound the wisdom of sages or worthiesand were simply ladders by which later examination candidates climbed up to bureaucratic advancement.
His words mentioned above were then contrary to the teachings of loyalty and filial piety， which were thecore of feudal morals and also the foundation of the state in the feudal society. His parents often urge him tostudy hard. Especially， his father is very strict with him and says repeatedly that“you may write a few linesof poetry but it’s not up to much， nothing to boast about. After all， when you come to take the examinations，it’s essay-writing that counts； but you’ve neglected that. Here’s what you’re to do from now on. Stop versifyingand writing couplets， and concentrate on studying eight-section essays. I give you one year. If you’ve madeno progress by the end of that time you can stop studying， and I shall disown you！”And he said to Baoyu’stutor：“I have brought my son here myself today because I have a request to make. He’s no longer a childand it’s time for him to study for his career， so as to establish himself and win a name in future.”“Whyshould he just play about instead of studying？”Baoyu’s tutor answered.“Poetry is all very well， but he’llhave plenty of time to take that up after passing the official examinations.”But Baoyu says“I can’t standsuch moral talk. And those eight-section essays are still more ridiculous. Using them to wangle a degree andmake a living—that’s not so bad； but how can you claim they‘voice the views of the sages？’”Baoyu hasfallen short of the expectations of his parents and the tutor， who brought him up. That’s why he is regardedas a degenerate and an unfilial son. He has a dislike for The Four Books， the eight-section essays and theImperial Examination. This means that he will never accept a noble rank to serve the state and the Emperor.
Consequently， he is taken as a disloyalist. Disloyalty and unfilial piety make Baoyu a rebel in the feudalsociety.
关于人之生死，他说：“可恨我为什么生在这侯门公府之家？我虽然高贵，但绫锦纱罗，也不过裹了我这枯株朽木，羊羔美酒，也不过填了我这粪窟泥沟：‘富贵’二字，真真把人荼毒了！”“人谁不死？只要死的好。那些个须眉浊物只知道‘文死谏’、‘武死战’这二死是大丈夫死名死节。竟何如不死的好！必定有昏君他方谏，他只顾邀名，猛拼一死，将来置君于何地？必定有刀兵他方战，猛拼一死，他只顾图汗马之名，将来弃国于何地？”“可知那些死的，都是沽名钓誉，并不知大义。”
About man’s birth and death， he declares：“Why did I have to be born into this noble family？ Althoughmy status is higher， I’m just a stump of rotten wood swathed in silks and satins， just a cess-pool or gutterfilled with choice wines and meats. Riches and rank are anathema to me.”“All men must die. The thing isto die for good reasons. Those vulgar sods believe that ministers who die for remonstrating with the Emperorand generals who die in battle win immortal fame as fine， upright men—but wouldn’t it be better if they didn’tdie？ After all， there has to be a despot on the throne before ministers can remonstrate； but they court deathin their eagerness to make a name， with a complete disregard for their sovereign. In the same way， there hasto be a war before generals can die in battle； so they fight recklessly and try to win fame by dying， with nothought of the country’s welfare. That’s why I say these aren’t worthy deaths.”“They die to win a reputation，and don’t know noble principles.”
封建时代的婚姻不是建立在爱情的基础上，而是基于家族利益的各种考虑。贾家尽管经历了几代显耀，但已衰落，不仅经济上收入不够挥霍的生活方式支出，而且他们在道德上和精神上都衰败了。“谁知这样钟鸣鼎食的人家儿，如今养的儿孙，竟一代不如一代了！”在整个家族子孙中，只有贾宝玉有望振兴贾家的未来。当贾家的命运变得更糟糕时，其家长就变得日愈急于纠正宝玉的任性，以便他能恢复贾家兴旺的情景，一再暗示宝玉与宝钗才是完美的婚配并加紧限制宝玉的自由。封建压迫的镣铐加紧了宝黛之恋的束缚，尽管他们之间的爱情是世上最纯洁、最崇高、最真诚的。正如宝玉所说：“我只恨我天天圈在家里，一点儿做不得主， 行动就有人知道，不是这个拦，就是那个劝的，能说不能行。虽然有钱，又不由我使。”宝玉一直追求自由、平等和爱情。结果，在经历了身边各种封建矛盾的痛苦碰撞后，他发现他不能忘记他所爱的人来和宝钗生活在一起，终于离开了家庭，遁入了空门。正是：
“看破的，遁入空门；痴迷的，枉送了性命。”
“都道是金玉良缘，俺只念木石前盟。
叹人间，美中不足今方信；纵然是齐眉举案，到底意难平。”
Marriage in feudal times was not based on love， but on considerations of family advantage. The Jias，although they have been a distinguished clan for generations， are in decline， not only economically—theincome from their estates is no longer sufficient to support their lavish lifestyle—but more importantly，they are in decline morally and spiritually.“Who would’ve thought that each new generation of this nobleand scholarly clan is inferior to the last.”Nowhere in the whole clan is mere a scion who gives them somuch hope for their future prosperity as Jia Baoyu. As the fortunes of the Jia family worsen， the head of thehousehold grows daily more anxious to correct Baoyu’s waywardness so that the boy can restore the situation，hinting time and again that Baoyu and Baochai would make a perfect match and tightening the restrictionson Baoyu’s freedom. The bonds of feudal oppression tighten around Baoyu and Daiyu although their mutuallove is the purest， the noblest， the sincerest in the world. Just as Baoyu said：“My trouble is that I’m coopedup at home all the time and am not my own master. Every move I make is known， and there’s always someonetrying to stop me or dissuade me， so whatever I say， I can’t do a thing. Though I’ve money， I can’t spend it asI want.”Baoyu has been seeking freedom， equality and love， but after he has undergone the painful clash offeudal contradictions in his surroundings， he has only found that he can not forget his sweetheart to live withBaochai， and finally he has left the family home—has become a Buddhist monk. Truly：
“Those who see through the world escape from the world，While foolish lovers forfeit their lives for nothing.”
“Well-matched， all say， the gold and the jade；I alone recall the pledge between plant and stone.
I sigh， learning that no man’s happiness is complete：
Even a pair thought well-matchedMay find disappointment.”
