EAST 211 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Anthony C. Yu, Journey To The West, Main Plot
15 May 2018
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*novel that comes out of Late Imperial Chinese culture. Symbols are still prevalent in Chinese culture
today
Development of the Chinese Novel
Ming and Qing (14th-20th Century)
• Printing, literacy, and commercial bookshops
o Bookshops: sold Confucian classics, but also began selling books for entertainment. These
books are seen as 'lower' but, in fact, they have meanings and sophistication beyond the
main plot line (which is more accessible)
• Famous novels
o Deal with war, satire, or were erotic
o Most people didn't want to claim authorship of these books because they were considered
so low so we often don't know who wrote them
• Oral, popular storytelling
o Authors drew on body of lore
o Texts are rich in that they reproduce a number of these stories
o Most novels are episodic; each chapter can be taken on its own and represents a popular
story
• Technologies:
o Colour prints (pictures on MyCourses)
o Printing technologies (had to be able to print lots of long books)
Journey to the West (Xiyouji)
• First published in 1592; authorship is unknown
• Loosely based on Monk Xuanzang's historical pilgrimage to India during the Tang Dynasty (brought
back scriptures to translate)
• Anthony Yu, trans. The Monkey and the Monk: An Abridgement of Journey to the West
o Assigned a chapter from this
o Revolves around the relationships involving the Monkey (hero)
Popularity
• Q: Why is Monkey the hero of the novel? Why so popular? And why does Monkey always monkey
around?
Journey to the West: The Novel
Composite Nature:
• Mix of Indian and Chinese religion and mythology
• Source material: popular stories, plays, poetry, sutras, etc
o Poetry part of oral storytelling (easy to memorize); incorporated into novels
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644): religious syncretism
• Chinese religions are not completely separate; most people don't just identify with one religion.
The religions and their practices/doctrines are not mutually exclusive.
• Neo-Confucianism = state orthodoxy
• "three teachings are one" (sanjiao heyi): part of one single teaching/one single truth
o Chan (Zen) Buddhism
o Daoism (inner alchemy)
o Neo-Confucianism
-
Journey to the West: Allegory or Satire?
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
• Allegory: "presenting one things in words, another in meaning"
o Story is talking about religious doctrines; a kind of religious text
o But because of syncretic nature of religions, what religion is it an allegory of?
• If allegorical, what is the story an allegory of?
o Buddhism
▪ Obvious Buddhist elements (Monk doing pilgrimage)
▪ Other symbolisms and imagery relating to Buddhism
o Daoism (inner alchemy)
▪ Immortality practices
o Neo-Confucianism
▪ Comes from Ming and there are Confucian values at play (filial piety, master-disciple
relationship, etc)
▪ Problem: they are searching for Buddhist scriptures
o Other?
Journey to the West: Allegory or Satire?
Anthony Yu, "Preface" to The Monkey and the Monk
"My own encounter with this marvelous work since childhood... had long convinced me that this
narrative was nothing if not one of the world's most finely wrought allegories..." (xiv)
Journey to the West: Allegory or Satire?
• Satire: "a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn"
• Arthur Waley, trans Monkey (1943)
o As secular entertainment and satire
o Humerous
o Doesn't emphasie religious ideas; sees it as a satire of religion
Journey to the West: Allegory or Satire?
• Arthur Waley, trans Monkey (1943)
• Preface by Hu Shi (1891-1962)
"Freed from all kinds of allegorical interpretations by Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian
commentators, Monkey is simply a book of good humor, profound nonsense, good-natured satire
and delightful entertainment"
• As secular, non-religious satire
• Modernist
Ch. 14: Monkey and Monk Xuanzang begin their voyage together
• Monkey (Sun Wukong; Pilgrim Sun; Great Sage Equal to Heaven)
o has a Buddhist name (Sun Wukong), even though he doesn't seem very Buddhist (unruly,
mischievious.
o Calling Monkey "Great Sage Equal to Heaven", is this satire or of religious significance?
VS
• Monk Xuanzang (Tripitaka; Master)
o Tripitaka: means Buddhist scriptures. Language: Buddhist scriptures going to look for
Buddhist scriptures
Plot:
• On mission to find scriptures from India; Monkey agrees to accompany him and protect him
• They are opposites; struggle to navigate master/disciple relationship
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
*novel that comes out of late imperial chinese culture. Symbols are still prevalent in chinese culture today. Ming and qing (14th-20th century: printing, literacy, and commercial bookshops, bookshops: sold confucian classics, but also began selling books for entertainment. These books are seen as "lower" but, in fact, they have meanings and sophistication beyond the main plot line (which is more accessible) Loosely based on monk xuanzang"s historical pilgrimage to india during the tang dynasty (brought back scriptures to translate: anthony yu, trans. The monkey and the monk: an abridgement of journey to the west: assigned a chapter from this, revolves around the relationships involving the monkey (hero) Composite nature: mix of indian and chinese religion and mythology. Source material: popular stories, plays, poetry, sutras, etc: poetry part of oral storytelling (easy to memorize); incorporated into novels. Ming dynasty (1368-1644): religious syncretism: chinese religions are not completely separate; most people don"t just identify with one religion.
