Journey-to-the-West

JourneytotheWest西遊記(Xijouji)OutlineI.NovelsoflateMingDynastyII.JourneytotheWestNovelsofLateMing(1573-1620)amarkedupsurgeintheactivitiesofcommercialpublishers.Oldnovels:repeatedlyreprintedvs.newnovelswerepublished.Thelongernewnovels:borrowmainplotlinesfromolderworksButshowmuchgreaterfreedomintheirtreatmentofthematerialTheoriginalnovelofthisperiod:elementofreversalinthelongruneverythingchangestoitsownopposite,e.g.unitytodivision,prosperitytoruin,orviceversa.retribution=originallyanoldBuddhistconcepteveryactperformedcarriesmoralvalence,willberewardedorpunishedinthenextincarnation.From1550-1650,retribution=anautomaticprocess,inherent,nointerventionbygodsordemons,retributionwithinasinglelifetime.NovelsofLateMing(1573-1620)Oneisneverconfrontedwithachoicebetweentwoevilsortwopositivevalues.Thechoiceisalwaysstraightforward:betweengoodandevil,andtheperson’sfuturewell-beingisdeterminedbyhisownchoice.Concretedescriptions:followedbypoems/coupletsassumming-up;orbyafamiliarproverborsaying.Greedandlustarefeaturedprominently.Attimes,thereisacertaininterestinpersonalmentalprocesses.E.g.whysomepeopleyieldtotemptationwhileothersclingtothegoodinthefaceofalldifficulties.theauthorsshownothingbutcontemptforthosewhoaresoweak,forwhateverreason,astomakethewrongethicalchoice.NovelsfromtheLastCenturyoftheMingDynastyEveryone=personallyresponsibleforthecourseofhislife(yet,notinexistentialsense)Usuallytheprocessofretributionrunsthroughtoitsconsequenceswithinthespaceofasinglelifetime.Towardtheendofthisperiod(early17thcentury),therewasabloomintheproductionofmodernChinese(language)novellas.StructureofNovelsinLateMingDynastyThesenovellastypicallyconsistof2stories:1.ashortopeningstory(short&simple)2.alongermainstory(detailed,complicated,&well-organizedexampleofthesamemoral)bothillustratetheworkingsofthesameexplicitlyformulatedmorallaw.Author’sintention:notmainlyforamusement,buttopresentthetruth(retribution)forthereaderstoawakefromtheirbenightedstateoffollyandbettertheirways.Author:asaprofessionalstoryteller,fulloffolksyinnocenceandhomespunvirtueNovelsinthisperiodshowamuchwiderrangeofcharactersfromabroaderscaleofsocialbackgroundthantheearlier.Moreattentiontotheproblemsofordinaryfolk.NovelsofLateMing(1573-1620)Strongconcernwithmoralissuesblack-&-whitecharacterizationmechanicallysimplisticresultsareputationforfacilemoralism:notinallcases,butmostnovelslacktheconceptofthetragic.Notmuchplaceinthemforfateorforthedilemma.II.JourneytotheWest西遊記/TheXiyoujiSupposedtobewrittenbyWuCheng’en吳承恩(ca.1500-ca.1582),probablybetween1570-1580.amemberoftheliterati(butneverpassedhigher-levelexaminations,heldonlymodestofficeinhislateryears).Theoldestsurvivaleditiondatesfrom1592.Materialsbaseonaveryoldpopularstorycycle.Greatinfluencesby:Chinesefolkreligion,Chinesemythology,DaoismandBuddhismAdventurousstory-type(anancientChineseHarryPotter)Allegoryaboutreligiousjourneytofindselfenlightenment.JourneytotheWest/TheXiyoujiHistoricalTruth:In629-645A.D.(earlyTong),aChinesemonkXuanzang玄莊undertookapilgrimagetoIndiaforcollectingsutras.Uponhisreturn,wasgivenahonorificname:TongXuanzang/Tripitaka(600-664)唐三藏Herecordedhisstoryinofficialrecords.AgreatdealofearlierversionsofthelegendthewisemonkXuanzangastheirhero(centerofthetext),startingtheirnarrativewithhisdeparturefromChinaforfarawaylandsXuanzang/Sanzang’sjourneymadeatremendousimpressiononhiscontemporaries,becameafertilesourceoflegendsJourneytotheWest:ChaptersJourneytotheWest:Basethestoryonhistoricaltruth&earliertextversionsofthelegendAdd:imagination&creativity:magic,gods,demons,fairiesTheMonkey-kingasthecenterOverviewoftheNovelIntotal--100chapters:PartI:ch.1-7–preludestartsoutwiththebirthofSunWukong.Then,describeSun’squestforeternityandmagicpowers&hisrebellionagainstthereigningauthoritiesinheaven,forwhichheiseventuallyimprisonedunderamountain.PartII:ch.8-12—biographyandbackgroundOfXuanzang/Tripitaka,andhisotherdisciplesPartIII:ch.13-99—adventuresstoriesPartIV:ch.100–returnjourneyTheStoryofJourneytotheWest/TheXiyoujiSoonafterXuanzang’sdeparturefromChina:Losesallhisoriginalretinue(humanfollowers)heis,instead,accompaniedbysupernaturalcreaturesasdisciples:1.thebestfighter,SunWukong,孫悟空2.thepigZhuBajie朱八戒3.theShamonk沙僧4.anewwhitehorse.Themonkey,thepig,theShamonkandthehorseareallgodsinHeaveninthepastbuttheycommitcertainmistakes.Iftheycouldsuccessfullygetthesutras,theycanreturnbacktoHeavenandbecomegodsagain.TheStoryofJourneytotheWest/TheXiyoujiTogether,thenewcompanygoesthrough81perilsofallsorts:mostoftheminvolvingencounterswithmonstersseekingtoeatXuanzang.80oftheperilsaremetonthejourneytoTheWesternParadiseandoneonthewayhome.WhydothemonsterswanttoeatXuanzang?FortheywouldattainimmortalityiftheycouldhavethefleshofXuanzang.StoryofJourneytotheWest/TheXiyoujiAnextremelyinterestingbookforthosewhoretainakid’smind.Magicalpower,monsters&adventure:deviltigergeneral,thecunningbony-woman,theseductivespider-girl,theangrycow-king,thetroublesomewoman-kingdom,thestrongbig-bird