Weekly Reading Notes (B) Week 4 - Monkey In the West

Wu Cheng’en - The Journey to the West

Chapter 1

-Why a monkey? What wisdom and what image is the author conveying?

-The Stone? A money born from a stone. He is immortal but the Gods did not make him so, who made the Money? The Jade king didn’t, who is the ruler of heaven, so who placed the stone to be born? How can a Mountain get pregnant “...with a divine embryo.” (424)? With a stone egg that hatches a monkey…. What?

-The monkey is not the main protagonist of this tale, but he is mentioned for a great portion. He is obviously a key player in this tale. So who open with his life and story and spend so much time on who he is?

-“Never fearing Yama’s call to reckoning.” (431) he fears death but humans do not. He lacks something that mortals have while seeking immortality. Too proud to stop and learn how he may better himself from the lower living.

-“This tyrant of early rising and retiring late?” (430)

- What is the meaning of life with no death? Why live and not work? Or have a goal to accomplish something, better oneself, better the world? Why be an idol stagnant god? Where is the urgency and beauty of now when you have forever?

- He is said to be 400~ years old at one point, why the sudden obsession with youth? He still seems pretty young to me. And most people do not live that long, let alone monkeys.

- “... and live as long as Heaven and Earth, the mountains and the streams.” (429) - the monkey king. He is made of and from the mountains! So he is already immortal, so why is he worried? Silly Monkey.

- The use of Red and Yellow, Royal and rich color, very dynamic and interesting (429)