Journey to the West (Gift)

Author: Wu Cheng'en
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The story of The Journey to the West is very familiar to people. Among its most exciting chapters, such as Sun Wukong's chaos in Heaven, Zhu Bajie's wedding at the High Elder's mansion, defeating the White Bone Demon, and borrowing the Plantain Fan, are household names, known to all, even to the old and young. For hundreds of years, it has attracted generation after generation with its strong artistic charm, making it one of the most beloved classical novels in Chinese history. The Journey to the West primarily depicts the story of Sun Wukong protecting Tang Monk on his journey westward to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures, enduring ninety-nine and eight difficulties. The journey of Tang Monk to retrieve the scriptures was a real event in history. Approximately 1,300 years ago, in the first year of the Zhenguan era (627), the young monk Xuanzang, at the age of 25, left the capital Chang'an alone to study in India (Tianzhu). After departing from Chang'an, he passed through Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, overcoming numerous hardships and finally reaching India. There, he studied for over two years and was praised as the main speaker at a major Buddhist scholastic debate. In the 19th year of the Zhenguan era (645), Xuanzang returned to Chang'an, bringing back 657 Buddhist scriptures. This journey to the west took nineteen years and covered tens of thousands of miles, a legendary long march that caused a sensation at the time. Later, Xuanzang dictated his travels to the west, which were compiled by his disciple Bianji into the Record of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty in twelve volumes. However, this book mainly described the history, geography, and transportation of the various countries along the way and contained little narrative. Later, his disciples Huili and Yancong wrote the Biography of the Venerable Monk Xuanzang of the Great Tang's Daci'en Temple, which added many mythical elements to Xuanzang's experiences, and from then on, the story of Tang Monk's journey to the west began to spread widely among the people. In the Southern Song Dynasty, there was The Poetic Talk of Tang Monk's Journey to the West, and in the Jin Dynasty, there were Tang Monk and The Peach Blossom Banquet in the court dramas. In the Yuan Dynasty, there were Wu Changling's Tang Monk's Journey to the West to the Western Heaven and an anonymous The God Erlang Locks Sun Wukong, all of which laid the foundation for the creation of The Journey to the West. Wu Cheng'en, styled Ruzhong and known as Shaoyang Mountain Man, was from Shanyang in Huai'an Prefecture (now Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province). He was born around the years between the 13th year of the Hongzhi era and the early Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (1500–1510) and died around the 10th year of the Wanli era (1582). Both his great-grandfather and grandfather were scholars who served as instructors and teachers in county schools. However, by the time of his father Wu Rui, due to poverty, he was adopted into the Xu family and took over their business, becoming a small merchant. Despite this, the Wu family did not lose its tradition of scholarship. It is said that his father Wu Rui, though a merchant, was upright and loved reading and discussing current affairs, which naturally had a great influence on Wu Cheng'en. Wu Cheng'en was very intelligent from a young age and entered school early, achieving early success and fame in his hometown. The 16th volume of the Tianqi Huai'an Prefecture Gazetteer says of Wu Cheng'en, "He was quick-witted and intelligent, knowledgeable in all books, and could compose poetry and prose at the drop of a hat." However, Wu Cheng'en's life after adulthood was not smooth. He faced repeated setbacks on the path to the imperial examinations and only became a supplementary tribute student in his forties. In his fifties, he served as the county magistrate of Changxing County in Zhejiang and later as the Jixian of the Jing Wang's court, a position of little responsibility similar to that of a county magistrate. Wu Cheng'en began writing The Journey to the West in his middle age, or it is believed to have been written in his later years, though the exact time remains uncertain. In addition to The Journey to the West, he also wrote the long poem The Song of Erlang Searching for Mountains and The Legend of Yu Ding. The existing Collected Works of Master Shaoyang in four volumes, including one volume of poetry and three volumes of prose, were compiled by Qiu Du after Wu Cheng'en's death. The entire The Journey to the West consists of 100 chapters, which, in terms of its overall structure, can be divided into three parts. From the beginning to the eighth chapter is the first part, which mainly describes Sun Wukong's birth, his apprenticeship, and his chaos in Heaven. This is the most exciting part of the book, lively and full of action, as Sun Wukong travels, fully showcasing his rebellious spirit. The eighth chapter to the twelfth chapter is the second part, which mainly describes Tang Monk's background and the reasons for his journey to the west. The thirteenth chapter to the last chapter is the third part, which mainly depicts Tang Monk's journey to the west, where he、、 and endured ninety-nine and eight difficulties, finally retrieving the true scriptures and achieving enlightenment. The Journey to the West presents to people a magnificent and colorful world of gods and demons, leaving everyone in awe of the author's rich and bold artistic imagination. However, every work of literature reflects a certain aspect of social life, and as an outstanding representative of fantasy novels, The Journey to the West is no exception. As Lu Xun pointed out in A Brief History of Chinese Fiction, The Journey to the West "satirizes and teases the customs of the time, adding exaggerated descriptions." He also said, "The author has a talent for comedy, so even when describing the mysterious and elusive, he often mixes in humorous remarks, making gods and demons have human emotions and spirits, and even ghosts and monsters understand worldly affairs." Indeed, through the fantastical world of gods and demons in The Journey to the West, we can see the reflection of real society everywhere. For example, in the creation of Sun Wukong's character, the author's ideals are embodied. Sun Wukong's indomitable spirit of struggle, his fearless attitude of wielding the golden-banded staff to sweep away all demons and monsters, reflects the people's wishes and demands. He represents a force of justice, showing the people's belief in overcoming all difficulties. The demons and monsters encountered on the journey to retrieve the scriptures are either transformations of natural disasters or symbols of evil forces. Their greed, cruelty, cunning, and treachery are also the characteristics of the dark forces in feudal society. Moreover, the Heavenly Palace ruled by the Jade Emperor and the Western Paradise governed by the Buddha are deeply colored with the hues of human society. The author's attitude toward the highest rulers of feudal society is also quite intriguing. In The Journey to the West, it is hard to find a competent emperor; as for the ignorant and incompetent Jade Emperor, the king of the Xu Chi country who favors demons, and the king of the Biqiu country who wants to use the hearts of children as medicine, they are either tyrants or autocrats. The portrayal of these characters, even if done casually, is full of strong realistic significance. The Journey to the West not only has profound ideological content but also achieves great artistic success. With its rich and unique artistic imagination, vivid and winding plot, lifelike characters, and humorous and witty language, it constructs a unique artistic palace of The Journey to the West. However, I believe the greatest artistic achievement of The Journey to the West is the successful creation of the immortal artistic images of Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie. Sun Wukong is the protagonist of The Journey to the West and is an extraordinary hero. He has boundless abilities, fears neither heaven nor earth, and has an indomitable spirit of rebellion. He has the demeanor of a great hero but also the flaw of loving flattery. He is clever, brave, and loves to cause trouble. His greatest characteristic is his courage to fight. He dares to fight the supreme and all-powerful Jade Emperor, earning the name "Great Sage Equal to Heaven." He dares to fight demons and monsters, never missing a demon with his fiery eyes and golden pupils, and never showing mercy to demons under the golden-banded staff. He dares to fight all difficulties, never retreating or bowing his head. This is Sun Wukong, a dazzling mythological hero. As for Zhu Bajie, his abilities are far inferior to Sun Wukong, and he is certainly no heroic figure. However, this character is also portrayed very well. Zhu Bajie is a comedic figure, simple and honest, strong, and also daring to fight demons and monsters, serving as Sun Wukong's able assistant. However, he is full of flaws, such as his love for food, petty greed, lust for women, fear of difficulties, and his tendency to give up halfway, always thinking of the wife in the High Elder's mansion. Sometimes he lies, but his clumsy mouth and slow wit make it hard for him to convince anyone. He also occasionally provokes Tang Monk to recite the golden-banded, making Sun Wukong suffer a bit. He even hides some private money, stuffing it in his ear. His flaws are many, reflecting the vices of a petty owner. The author's criticism of Zhu Bajie's flaws is severe but well-intentioned. He is not a completely negated character, so people do not dislike Zhu Bajie; on the contrary, they find him quite real and lovable. Tang Monk's character is also well-written, but compared to Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, he is somewhat inferior. Sha Sanzang is even more lacking in distinct personality traits, which cannot be said to be a shortcoming of The Journey to the West. Despite this, the artistic achievements of The Journey to the West are still astonishing. Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, with their distinct individual characteristics, have established an immortal artistic monument in the history of Chinese literature.