The Journey to the West: Volume I

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1592

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Before You Read

Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-10

Chapters 11-15

Chapters 16-20

Chapters 21-25

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Discussion Questions

Essay Topics

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?

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

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