'Cloth Gown' and 'Vermilion Door' Groups and Social Criticism in Du Fu's Poems
Abstract
Against the social upheaval and acute class polarization in the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty around the An-Shi Rebellion, Du Fu's poems present distinct portrayals of the "cloth gown" and "vermilion door" groups. This paper focuses on these two interdependent and opposing groups to examine how Du Fu elevates concrete image depiction to profound social criticism. The research shows that the "cloth gown" group embodies both the literati's spiritual identity and the rassroots people's sufferings of displacement and poverty. The "vermilion door" group stands for the privileged class's extravagance, power monopoly and moral degeneration. Through sharp spatial and imagistic contrasts between the two groups, Du Fu truthfully records the wealth gap and institutional crises of the Tang Dynasty. His writing reflects a strong sense of realism and humanitarianism, and fully displays the profound social critical function and the unique historical value of "poetry as history" in his poetic works.
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