Old Man Zan's Journey: A Hundred Excellent Chinese Literary Books of the Century

Author: Liu E
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-04-01
Features: A Journey to the West is a novel written by Liu E in his later years, completed in 1906. Through the travels and observations of the protagonist, Lao Can, the book fiercely criticizes the darkness of the then-local administration, exposing the so-called "honest officials who don't take money" as actually being butchers who, in their eagerness to become high-ranking officials (Chapter 6), would kill innocent people to claim credit and stain their hats with human blood. Objectively, it helps the people realize that they cannot place any hope in the entire bureaucratic group. This reflects the relatively progressive side of the author who sympathizes with the suffering of the people. However, his fundamental political views are backward, even reactionary. He firmly supports feudal rule, lacks an understanding of the aggressive nature of imperialist countries, and opposes the bourgeois democratic revolution and the Boxer Rebellion's anti-invasion struggle, both of which are clearly depicted in the book. As a result, A Journey to the West is a book with both strengths and flaws.