Reading and analyzing the famous works of Journey to the West

Answer 1

The following are some of the possible types of analytical questions and answers that may appear when reading Journey to the West:

** 1. Character Image Analysis Question **

1. ** Sun Wukong **
- ** Character Analysis **
- Sun Wukong was formed from immortal stones, and he had a strong spirit of resistance. For example, in the plot of "Uproar in Heaven", he was dissatisfied with the hierarchy of the Heavenly Court and self-proclaimed himself as the "Great Sage Equal to Heaven" to challenge the authority of the Jade Emperor. This reflected his pursuit of freedom, courage to resist, and daring character. He held the Golden Cudgel in his hand, which could be extended and retracted at will. It weighed 13,500 pounds and had 72 transformations and Fiery Golden Eyes (refined by Taishang Laojun for 49 days), which enabled him to see through disguises and respond flexibly when facing demons and ghosts. For example, in "Three Beats White Bone Demon", he used Fiery Golden Eyes to see through the three transformations of White Bone Demon and decisively killed the demon. Even though he was misunderstood by Tang Sanzang, he did not change his determination to eliminate evil. On the way to the Western Paradise, he showed the spirit of perseverance, courage, initiative, and uncompromising idealism. He protected Tang Sanzang through all the difficulties.
- ** Character Growth Analysis **
- Sun Wukong was the Monkey King of the Flowerfruit Mountain in the early stages. He was free and unruly, and he was not afraid of anything. After being trapped in the Five Elements Mountain for 500 years, he was rescued by Tang Sanzang and began to walk on the road of learning scriptures. In this process, he gradually learned to restrain his wildness. Although he still abhorred evil, he also began to obey Tang Sanzang's leadership. For example, when Tang Sanzang chanted the Golden Hoop Incantation to punish him, although he would sometimes be angry, he would still continue to fulfill his duty to protect Tang Sanzang. In the end, he was crowned as the "Fighting Buddha".
2. ** Pigsy **
- ** Character Analysis **
- Zhu Bajie was originally Marshal Tianpeng. He was demoted to the mortal world because he was drunk and flirted with Chang'e. He was lazy. Whenever he encountered difficulties on his way to the scriptures, he would shout that he wanted to break up. For example, after the "Three Beats of the White Bone Demon", he urged Tang Sanzang to drive away Sun Wukong and then wanted to return to Gao Laozhuang. He was short-sighted and liked to take advantage of others. He wanted to steal the ginseng fruit whenever he saw it. He was also lustful towards women, which was obvious in the "Four Sages 'Zen Heart Test". However, he also had a loyal and kind side. When he fought with demons, he would wield a rake and fight bravely. He was Sun Wukong's right-hand man. Moreover, he could correct his mistakes and was simple and honest.
- ** Character role analysis **
- Zhu Bajie played a comedic role in Journey to the West. His shortcomings and embarrassing behavior often elicited laughter from the readers or the audience, so that the whole story was not too serious and tense. At the same time, his existence also served as a foil to Sun Wukong's supernatural powers and Tang Sanzang's determination.
3. ** Tang Monk **
- ** Character Analysis **
- Tang Sanzang was tall, elegant, and kind. He had a high attainment in Buddhist scriptures, was kind-hearted, and firmly believed in Buddhism. No matter how many difficulties and obstacles he encountered, he would not change his determination to learn Buddhist scriptures. This kind of spirit was indestructible. However, he was sometimes too pedantic, unable to distinguish between good and bad. For example, in the plot of "Three Beats White Bone Demon", he was confused by the disguise of White Bone Demon, wrongly blamed Sun Wukong, and chanted the Golden Hoop Incantation to punish him and even drive him away. This reflected his stubbornness and weakness of not being able to distinguish the truth.
- ** Analysis of Character Symbolism **
- Tang Sanzang symbolized a firm believer. His goal was clear, which was to go to the western paradise to obtain the true scriptures and spread the Buddhist Dharma. The various temptations he faced on his way to learn the scriptures (such as the emotional temptations of the Kingdom of Women) and tribulations (the threat of demons and ghosts) were like the various disturbances and difficulties that a believer would encounter in the process of pursuing his faith, but he always adhered to his beliefs.
4. ** Monk Sand **
- ** Character Analysis **
- Monk Sand had been protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures. He had worked tirelessly and was extremely loyal. He was kind and brave. He knew his mistakes and would correct them. His personality was simple and honest. He wasn't as resourceful as Sun Wukong, nor did he have many shortcomings and distinctive personalities like Zhu Bajie. However, his existence was an important factor in the stability of the team. He silently took on the logistics work such as carrying the burden.
- ** Character positioning analysis **
- Monk Sand was the loyal guardian of the group. His role in the team was relatively low-key. He didn't have the dazzling light of Sun Wukong's demon-subduing and demon-slaying, nor did he have the comedic color of Zhu Bajie. However, his loyalty ensured the integrity of the team and was an indispensable member for the success of learning.

** 2. Plot Analysis Question **

1. ** Havoc in Heaven **
- ** Plot Meaning Analysis **
- Havoc in Heaven was a very important plot in Journey to the West. It laid the foundation for Sun Wukong's image of resisting authority. This plot showcased Sun Wukong's supernatural powers. He fought with the heavenly soldiers and generals, disrupting the order of the Heavenly Court, reflecting his dissatisfaction and resistance to the unreasonable hierarchy of the Heavenly Court. From another perspective, this also hinted at the psychological resistance of the oppressed against the oppressors in feudal society.
- ** Plot Development Analysis **
- After Sun Wukong self-proclaimed himself as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven on Mount Huaguo, the Jade Emperor sent heavenly troops and generals to capture him. First, he defeated the Mighty Miracle God, Nezha, and other heavenly generals. Then, he secretly ate the Peaches of Immortality, disrupted the Peach Banquet, and stole the Golden Elixir. The Jade Emperor had no choice but to ask the Buddha for help. Buddha made a bet with Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong thought that he had jumped out of Buddha's palm, but he was eventually suppressed under the Five Elements Mountain. This plot promoted the development of the story and laid the foreshadowing for him to be rescued by Tang Sanzang and embark on the road of learning scriptures.
2. ** Three times against White Bone Demon **
- ** Plot conflict analysis **
- The conflict in the plot was mainly reflected in the conflict between Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang. In order to eat Tang Sanzang's meat, the White Bone Demon transformed into human form three times. Sun Wukong saw through it with his Fiery Eyes and killed the White Bone Demon. However, Tang Sanzang had eyes of flesh and thought that Sun Wukong had killed innocent people, so he chanted the Golden Hoop Incantation to punish him and even drove him away. This conflict reflected the huge difference in the understanding between the master and the disciple. Sun Wukong focused on subduing demons and protecting the safety of Tang Sanzang, while Tang Sanzang adhered to the Buddhist philosophy of not killing. At the same time, it also reflected the fragility of the trust between them.
- ** Plot structure analysis **
- The plot structure was compact, and the three transformations of the White Bone Demon progressed layer by layer. The first time, she became a village girl and was killed by Sun Wukong, leaving behind a fake corpse. The second time, she became an old woman and was killed by Sun Wukong, which deepened Tang Sanzang's dissatisfaction. The third time, she became an old eunuch, but Sun Wukong still killed her, which eventually led to the break of the master-disciple relationship. This kind of plot structure increased the tension and drama of the story.
3. ** Analysis of the significance of the road to learning **
- ** From the perspective of character growth **
- For Sun Wukong, the journey of learning Buddhist scriptures was the process of him growing from a rebellious, free, and unruly stone monkey to a responsible Buddha who had achieved positive results. In this process, he learned to restrain his wildness, learn teamwork, and understand the compassion of Buddhism. For Zhu Bajie, the journey of learning the scriptures was a process in which he overcame many of his shortcomings, such as gluttony, laziness, and lust for women, and finally realized his self-redemption. For Tang Sanzang, this was a practical journey to strengthen his faith and spread Buddhism. To Monk Sand, this was a process of his loyal protection and accumulation of merit.
- ** From the perspective of the theme **
- The journey symbolized the process of people pursuing their ideals and overcoming difficulties. The eighty-one difficulties that the four of them encountered along the way represented the various setbacks and temptations that they would encounter in their lives. In the end, they successfully obtained the scriptures, which showed that as long as they had firm faith and tenacious perseverance, they could overcome difficulties and achieve their goals. At the same time, this also reflected the Buddhist thoughts of karma, cultivation, and liberation. Through the act of learning from the scriptures, the Buddhist teachings were spread and all living beings were saved.
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