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Mythologies and the Monkey King: The Treatment of Mythology in Journey to the West .
The first, and perhaps most important, observation that can be made about the novel "The Journey to the West", attributed usually to Wu Cheng'en (c. 1500s), is that it is fun to read. Any discussion of the treatment of mythology in this novel must confront the fact of its irreverence for religion, be it Buddhism or Taoism. This essay will argue that it is this irreverence - personified in the very human character of Monkey (Monkey King/Great Sage) - that renders this comic novel a classic of Chinese literature. Monkey is a "human" character with human drives and flaws attempting to find a place for himself in a world of immortals and magic. The mythology of the comic novel is thus simply a "backdrop" for this theme of man struggling to find meaning in the world. 4 pgs. Bibliography lists 1 source.
