44 pages • 1 hour read
Wu Cheng'en, Transl. Arthur WaleyMonkey: A Folk Novel of China
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1592A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
The Allegory of Buddhist Enlightenment
While Monkey has several themes, the most significant one is that of Buddhist enlightenment. Buddhist principles pervade the story, with each main character representing aspects of human existence that are either desirable or less desirable, and each adventure highlighting different aspects of Buddhist teaching. Tripitaka and Monkey, the two pilgrims who become Buddhas, represent the qualities best prized in Buddhism—Tripitaka for his piety, humility, and understanding of how to treat others, and Monkey for his brilliance and great skill in life. Both are also vegetarians, which is common in Buddhism. Though they represent the best qualities, both Monkey and Tripitaka have flaws. Their ability to overcome their flaws and learn how to be better makes them worthy of promotion in the Faith—Monkey for conquering his ego and Tripitaka for conquering his fragility. By contrast, Pigsy’s attachment to earthly pleasures, his laziness, and his poor attitude make him unworthy of Buddhahood despite his contributions to the journey.
Karma and reincarnation play an enormous role in the text. Many of the creatures in the story turned out the way they are through some karmic accident or through committing a sin so great that it influenced their next reincarnation. Monkey’s pursuit of religion begins with a desire to break out of the karmic cycle and live forever as himself, rather than being subjected to death and rebirth. The prevalence of transformation by magic also plays into the idea of reincarnation, as the magical creatures capable of transforming themselves have access to what is essentially a constant cycle of change.
The pilgrims’ journey is a literal journey to enlightenment in which they travel many thousands of miles from China to India and back, but it is also a figurative one, and the story as a whole serves as an allegory for achieving enlightenment. The most extraordinary pilgrim, Monkey, seeks knowledge but allows it to influence his aspirations too much, and only after lengthy punishment and servitude to a representation of piety can he overcome his own shortcomings and become better. Similarly, Tripitaka, the most ordinary pilgrim, understands almost nothing about life or the perils of his journey, but with the help of those who are stronger, he overcomes his naiveté and fear to become enlightened.
Dreams and Reality Are Indistinguishable
Dreams have tremendous significance in Chinese culture and have since ancient times. Many believe that dreams reveal important information about the living, waking world and can tell a person about how they’re feeling in the present, as well as what they can expect in the future. China’s earliest dream interpretation manuscripts date to thousands of years ago.
In Monkey, dreams play a significant role, as activities that happen in the dream world also happen in the real world and have considerable real-world impact. Early in the novel, Monkey dreams of being dragged to the hall of Death, where he resists being taken and scratches his own name—and the names of his followers—from the registers of death. Due to this action, Monkey and his subjects live longer, just as if the action was taken in the real world rather than the dream world. The Judges of the Dead also complain to the Jade Emperor of Monkey’s behavior; essentially, the only difference between the dream world and the real world is that Monkey is asleep when the action happens.
Repeatedly throughout Monkey, events take place in the dream world that have real-world impact just as if they had not happened in a dream. In making the dream world and real world indistinguishable, Wu suggests that consciousness goes beyond waking thoughts and actions. The mind—and soul—live even when asleep, and a person can be held responsible for their dreaming thoughts and actions as much as their waking ones. Only by spending time focusing the mind on the right subjects can a person truly be in control of their actions and ensure that they do not wrong others, even by accident.
All Life Involves Divine Intervention
Throughout the story, various Heavenly characters intervene in the lives of those on earth, both to help those deserving of help and to punish those who have violated Heaven’s laws. Heaven intervenes in an effort to curb Monkey’s behavior, and then again to punish him once he has become too full of himself. Tripitaka’s entire journey is rife with divine intervention, from before his birth until his achieving Buddhahood. Kuan-yin assists Tripitaka’s mother in protecting her baby and in bringing Tripitaka and his family back together. She chooses him from among the priests at the Mass for the Dead and secures disciples for him that will help him along the way. On the occasions when Tripitaka and his disciples run into a problem even they cannot overcome together, Kuan-yin and her aides intervene further to ensure Tripitaka’s success.
Many of the pilgrims’ adventures arise from divine intervention as well. In Crow-cock, a ghost appears to Tripitaka asking for help, and Tripitaka later finds out the appearance simply marks the natural end of a punishment wrought by Buddha three years prior. In Cart Slow, spirits tell the enslaved Buddhists that Monkey will arrive and save them, and Monkey uses divine assistance to subdue the false Taoist Immortals. Wu’s use of divine intervention in the story suggests that nothing in life can be fully accomplished without assistance from the divine, and that retribution will always come to those who deserve it.
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