There is another famous literature work we have similar experiences when read it. In the book Journey to the West, many roles have complex characteristics from which we can see human nature. I will take Pigsy as an example to illustrate how the author gave him a vivid human nature.
In the book, Pigsy is a mixture of a supernatural being as well as person and animal. The majority of his personality mostly showed humanity. He has both disadvantages and advantages. Unlike Tang Monk, a self-disciplined person, Pigsy is greedy, lazy and has desire for beauty. He was punished by Jade Emperor for dallying with the goddess in the moon Chang’e but never changed this nature. During the process of western journey, he was even difficult to move a single step as long as he met a female character. In the 32 chapter of the book, he wanted to marry into and live with the four beauties’ family which in fact a camouflage by four Bodhisattva. As a result, he hang in the trees all night and had a great suffering. Similar situations happened very often whereas Pigsy didn’t change it at all. He also expressed his fond to money whenever he got the opportunity. On the road to the west, he nearly racked his brain to save some money. In the 38 chapter, Sun Wukong cheated him to take the king’s body in the pit bottom. He did the deal when heard that there were treasures in the bottom. Pigsy always tried his best to gain extra advantages. What’s more, he was selfish and had little willpower all the way along. He sometimes made use of Tang Monk to attack and retaliate Sun Wukong, letting us angry about these. What he often said was, “Let’s divide our luggage and back to where we should stay. I Laozhu go back to my Gao Lao Zhuang and live happily with my Guilan!” Every time when I read about it, I felt angry and disappointed. While Sun Wukong putting up a desperate fight with those evil spirits and tried to rescue Tang Monk, Pigsy just wanted to fall apart and intended on his own life. His behavior just makes people furious. (Journey to the West, 32, 38)
Despite his character shortcomings, he didn’t lose our readers’ love towards him. Even he was one of the most popular character among the whole roles. He liked beauties but never did something beyond his identity. Even in Gao Lao Zhuang, he didn’t compel Cuilan and he actually didn’t break through lust even once. So it actually increased his reality and cuteness. It made everyone laugh when seeing he was teased by the four Bodhisattva or other female demons. He did have an itching palm, but he would never loot that didn’t belong to him. As a matter of fact, he just wanted to save some money to buy a new clothes. In the 76 chapter, he confessed that there was 4.6 points of silver hidden in his left ear. A moment like this was really funny and irritating. What a visual role from whom we readers can see glimpses of ourselves. (Journey to the West, 76)
Apart from his disadvantages showing his humanity, he actually had many good qualities. Do not look that his ponderous appearance, he had quiet a clever head. He prodded Sun Wukong into action to rescue Tang Monk by cheating. Most people cannot help laughing when Pigsy imitating the monsters. And if not his vivid performance, Sun wouldn’t be stimulated and finally rescued their master. And he had a valuable quality which was facing death unflinchingly. Whenever he was captured by monsters, he never surrendered to them. On the contrary, he would be foul-mouthed despite being tortured. He was once hung in the leather bag and steamed in the food steamers. But we didn’t hear one word begging for mercy. So, even sometimes he would run away while fighting with monsters, readers didn’t treat him as a traitor.
To be precise, Pigsy is closer to the secular emotions of people and maybe that’s why we like him so much. Because he was a real ordinary people with human advantages and disadvantages. This book, Journey to the West is the symbol of humanity awakening just like the western classic Hamlet. Both are the earliest founders of human concern in their works and have great influence on later literature works.
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Lectures on Aesthetics, London: Penguin Classics,1994. Shakespeare, Hamlet, Washington:Washington Square Press, 2017. Wu Chengen, Journey to the West, Shanghai: Shanghai Chinese Classics Publishing House, 2017. Web EBSCO, May 1, 2017
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