“Journey to the West”, a classic novel about gods and demons written by Ming Dynasty novelist Wu Cheng’en, has been deeply rooted in the cultural soil of the Chinese people and has become a classic and legend in the hearts of generations since its publication. The reasons why it has been able to attract the imagination of the Chinese people for a long time are complex and far-reaching, involving multiple levels such as literary value, cultural implication, artistic expression, and social psychology. The following is an in-depth discussion of this phenomenon. Although it is difficult to fully elaborate in 3,000 words, I will try my best to summarize its core points.
- Excellence in literary value
- Rich imagination and fantasy
“Journey to the West” takes the legendary story of Tang Monk and his four disciples seeking scriptures as the main line, and constructs a bizarre and mysterious mythological world. The book not only contains immortals flying in the clouds and mist, ever-changing demons, but also various magic weapons and strange geographical landscapes. These elements greatly satisfy people’s curiosity and desire to explore the unknown world. With his extraordinary imagination, Wu Chengen skillfully blended reality and fantasy to create a literary universe that is both based on reality and beyond reality. - Deep characterization
The characters in “Journey to the West” are distinct and distinctive. Tang Monk’s compassion, Sun Wukong’s wit and bravery, Zhu Bajie’s naivety, and Sha Monk’s honesty, these characters not only have distinct personalities, but also continue to grow and change with the development of the story, showing the complex brilliance of human nature. In particular, the character of Sun Wukong has become the embodiment of wisdom, strength and justice, and is deeply loved by readers. - Compact plot design and clever narrative techniques
The plot design of “Journey to the West” is compact and tense, and each chapter is full of conflicts and twists, which makes people unable to stop. At the same time, Wu Chengen also cleverly used narrative techniques such as foreshadowing, correspondence, and contrast, making the whole story structure rigorous and logically clear, which is both fascinating and memorable to read. - Profundity of cultural implications
- The embodiment of the idea of the unity of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism
Although “Journey to the West” is based on the story of Buddhist scriptures, it incorporates Confucian ethics and Taoist natural philosophy, showing the cultural characteristics of the unity of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. This ideological integration not only enriches the cultural connotation of the novel, but also reflects the diversity and inclusiveness of the social culture at that time. - A profound exploration of the good and evil of human nature
The novel deeply reveals the good and evil sides of human nature through the struggle between Tang Monk and his disciples and various demons and monsters. Sun Wukong’s rebellion and loyalty, Zhu Bajie’s greed and kindness, Sha Seng’s silence and perseverance, and the cunning and cruelty of many demons are all vivid depictions of the complexity of human nature. These stories not only entertain readers, but also trigger people’s deep reflection on themselves and society. - Metaphors and criticisms of social reality
Many plots and characters in “Journey to the West” contain metaphors and criticisms of social reality. For example, through the various hardships of Tang Monk and his disciples on the journey to obtain scriptures, the difficulties and obstacles on the road of life are reflected; through the struggle between Sun Wukong and the Heavenly Palace, the conflict and reconciliation between individuals and authority are metaphors; through the evil deeds of some demons, greed, hypocrisy and tyranny in society are criticized. These metaphors and criticisms give the novel a more profound social significance.
III. The uniqueness of artistic expression
- Exquisite language art
The language of “Journey to the West” is lively and expressive. Wu Chengen used a lot of colloquialisms, slang and dialects, making the language of the novel both easy to understand and rich in local color. At the same time, he also skillfully used rhetorical techniques such as exaggeration, metaphor, and personification to make the language of the novel more vivid and enhance the artistic appeal of the work. - Literary form of poetry and prose interspersed
The novel is interspersed with a large number of poems and songs, which not only enrich the literary form of the novel, but also enhance the artistic atmosphere of the novel. These poems and essays express emotions, depict scenery, or reveal philosophy, which complement the storyline of the novel and together constitute the unique artistic style of “Journey to the West”. - Fusion of opera and folk legends
“Journey to the West” absorbed a large number of opera and folk legend elements during the creation process, making the novel have a strong folk color and drama. These elements not only enrich the content of the novel, but also make the novel closer to the actual life of the people, enhancing the readability and spread of the novel.
IV. Social psychological resonance and satisfaction
- Worship and yearning for heroism
The characters such as Sun Wukong in “Journey to the West” have won the readers’ worship and yearning for their extraordinary abilities and heroic behaviors. The heroic spirit embodied in these characters not only satisfies people’s worship of the strong, but also inspires people’s desire to pursue self-transcendence and realize personal values. - Adhere to and pursue justice and kindness
The story of Tang Monk and his four disciples going through untold hardships to obtain the true scriptures in the novel conveys a kind of adherence to and pursuit of justice and kindness. This spirit not only conforms to the moral concepts of traditional Chinese culture, but also conforms to people’s deep moral pursuits and value orientations. - Emphasis and cherishment of family and affection
Although “Journey to the West” mainly tells the legendary story of seeking scriptures, there is no lack of description and emphasis on family and affection. For example, Tang Monk’s care and teaching for his disciples, and the deep friendship between Sun Wukong and the monkeys in Huaguo Mountain all reflect the importance of family and affection. These plots not only touch the readers’ emotional resonance, but also strengthen people’s cherishment of family and affection.
