85 pages 2 hours read

Wu Cheng'en, Transl. Anthony C. Yu

The Journey to the West: Volume I

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1592

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Essay Topics

1.

Wukong is made from Yin and Yang. Discuss his duality, and provide examples of each side. What do these examples tell you of Daoist or Chinese values at the time the text was originally written? Do you think one should still uphold those values? Why or why not?

2.

If you were Patriarch, would you have trained Wukong in the Way? Why or why not? Support your argument with evidence from the text.

3.

What role, if any, does fate or destiny play in the novel? Support your answer with evidence from the text.