A Religious Literary Analysis: The Desire for Immortality and Humility in Monkey: A Folk Novel of China
This paper will examine the book Monkey: A Folk Novel of China by Wu Ch'eng-en. We will analyze how the desires of Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy run counter to social needs, but ultimately set a tutorial set of spiritual principles that are Taoist and Buddhist in their nature. Although the gods serve as examples of immoral and hierarchal interaction, they are lessons that can reveal deeper understanding of humility and good religious values.