Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how Ming Dong Gu argued that "The Journey to the West", a Ming Dynasty classic, is not really a novel though it is often given as an example among other Ming novels. The paper explains that Wu Chen'en's effort depended on the historical chronicle and record of the monk who reached India in the late 7th century, wanting answers on Mahayana concepts. The paper comments on Chinese versus Indian Buddhism and the Taoist themes in "The Journey to the West" that fitted the time of its writing.

From the Paper:

"Ming Dong Gu commented on the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) classics, including "The Journey to the West", as cultural achievements that are just short of being fiction because they depend on history, a great many Chinese aware of the story adapted to produce the novel of 1592. (Ming 85) This paper examines "The Journey to the West" for its intensely Buddhist and Chinese nature telling a good deal about a 16th century civilization that is more apt to be associated with Taoism. "The Journey to the West" needs to be studied in the light of the ongoing influence of Hsuan-Tsang (596-664),..."

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