As the character at the heart of the famous novel Journey to the West, the multi-award-winning video game Black Myth: Wukong (2024), and countless other adaptations, the monkey pilgrim Sun Wukong, AKA ?Monkey King,? AKA ?Great Sage Equal to Heaven? would seem to need no introduction. Yet, modern portrayals of this cultural superhero leave much untold regarding his origins in Chinese religious and storytelling traditions. This course brings you into the world of the 1592 novel as translated by Anthony C. Yu (or, for students who prefer to read the novel in Chinese, in Li Tianfei?s annotated edition) and explores the novel?s social and historical significance in relation to texts and social practices from the seventh century to the present day.
No prerequisites. Course taught in English with the option of reading Journey to the West in Chinese.
Gopher Grades is maintained by Social Coding with data from Summer 2017 to Summer 2026 provided by the University in response to a public records request