A Dream of Red Mansions question

I certainly don't think Baochai is manipulative and cunning, but I understand why someone might make that statement. People who make that statement are probably in the Daiyu camp LOL. Above all she is tactful. For example, when comforting Lady Wang over the suicide of a maid, she would say the "right" thing rather than plunge her aunt into further distress. This has, however, been misconstrued by many Redologists and readers as being dishonest, cunning, hypocritical.

Baochai is one of my favourite characters.

BTW, if you would like a discussion, it would better to post at the Story of the Stone. More people have read the David Hawkes translation than the Yangs' version.

Great! thanks for all your feedback... and Story of the Stone tip. I do want discussion! :)

For anyone saying "Baochai is a perfect traditional Confucian woman", YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE BOOK AT ALL. If you use the Taoist label, then Baochai is perhaps the one that most deserve to be called a Taoist. She has transcended many obsessions of the secular world (surprisingly, this is her natural personality! plz refer to the chapter where Jia grandma saw her room and was surprised to see there was no girly deco at all) , she does not fixate on anything and most of the time she is just acting in a way that she deems the most fit and balanced. She does not care about things happening to her at a deep, personal level like Daiyu and all the other characters, as she in nature is an abstract person, who carries a higher level of indifference to all the oddities in life. The only people that she truly cares, are probably her mother and brother. That is Baochai, a true gem hidden among the common people, which is a wonderful demonstration of Taoism spirit.

I think Baochai is the author's example of a perfect traditional Confucian woman while Daiyu is the passionate Taoist. Thus Baochai is going to say the polite, tactful thing to promote harmony. Since the author is trying to create a love triangle, both heroines need to fully represent what he saw as worthy aspects of both philosophies.