In 'Dream of the Red Chamber', why did Xue Baochai marry Jia Baoyu despite knowing that he liked Lin Daiyu?
Xue Baochai was a character in 'Dream of the Red Chamber'. She didn't marry Jia Baoyu, but was proposed to by Jia Baoyu. In the novel, the reason why Xue Baochai married Jia Baoyu was that Jia Baoyu was a rich, talented, kind, and gentle person. Moreover, the two of them had a deep emotional foundation and trusted and respected each other. Although Jia Baoyu liked Lin Daiyu, he did not express his feelings directly to Xue Baochai, so Xue Baochai did not feel his love. On the contrary, Xue Baochai's feelings for Jia Baoyu were more based on respect and gratitude. She thought that she should marry Jia Baoyu because he was a respectable person. In addition, the character of Xue Baochai in the novel also had a complicated psychological and emotional journey. She had once felt helpless and lost because of the complicated relationship between her family and had also experienced many pains and setbacks. After marrying Jia Baoyu, she gradually gained a sense of happiness and security and began to understand her own life and values. Therefore, although she did not marry the person that Jia Baoyu had originally hoped for, she obtained true happiness and satisfaction in the novel.
