US Summer Reading 2024

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED: PLACE AND IDENTITY IN LITERATURE

Mr. Weaver

Monkey, by Wu Ch'eng-en

ISBN-13: 978-0802130860

Monkey by Wu Ch’eng-en, translated by Arthur Waley. This novel will provide us with the basic framework for exploring the relationship between self and setting, how characters are shaped by the places they inhabit, and how, reciprocally, places are shaped by the characters that inhabit them. 

Here are some questions to consider as you read. Note that you will not be required to submit written responses to these questions, but you may find it helpful to annotate your copy of the text, noting passages that help you to answer these questions or that raise related ones.

1. Describe the protagonist Monkey (or Sun Wukong). What are his strengths and weaknesses? How does he evolve as a character as his journey progresses?

2. Consider the role played in Monkey’s life by other characters such as the Jade Emperor, Buddha, and Tripitaka. How do Monkey’s interactions with these characters shape who he becomes by the end of the novel? 

3. Compare Tripitaka to Monkey. How do these two characters’ traits both come into conflict with and complement one another? 

4. What qualities make Tripitaka an effective leader? What impact does he have on his companions? 

5. How does Tripitaka himself change over the course of the novel? What characters and experiences contribute to these changes? How? 

6. Compare Pigsy and Sandy. How are their similarities and differences in terms of character? How is each character shaped by his past? What role does each character play in the journey? 

7. What lessons about spiritual enlightenment and morality can be gleaned from the adventures the characters have on their journey? 

8. What social or political issues might Monkey’s humor be aimed at? Make note of where the novel seems to operate as satire. 

9. Consider the significance of the trials and obstacles the characters encounter. What might these symbolize?

10. Consider the symbolic significance of objects and locations in the novel, such as Monkey’s staff and the Mountain of the Two Frontiers.

11. How does the episodic structure of the novel impact the reader’s understanding of the journey? 

12. What characters, social dynamics, or events in the novel do you relate to most? Why? 

13. How does your impression of the novel change as the story progresses? What aspects of the novel surprised or challenged you the most? Why?