Sun Wukong is portrayed in Journey to the West as quick-witted and rhetorically adept. Notably, statistical analyses of the novel reveal that of its approximately 300 cited classical quotations, Sun Wukong alone delivers 110 lines—over a third of the total.
Confucian Echoes in a Monkey’s Speech
After discovering the Water Curtain Cave, Sun Wukong demands the monkeys honor their earlier promise to crown him king, declaring:
The stone monkey then solemnly took a seat above and spoke to them: “Gentlemen! ‘If a man lacks trustworthiness, it is difficult to know what he can accomplish!’ You yourselves promised just now that whoever could get in here and leave again without hurting himself would be honored as king. Now that I have come in and gone out, gone out and come in, and have found for all of you this Heavenly grotto in which you may reside securely and enjoy the privilege of raising a family, why don’t you honor me as your king?” When the monkeys heard this, they all folded their hands on their breasts and obediently prostrated themselves. Each one of them then lined up according to rank and age, and, bowing reverently, they intoned, “Long live our great king!”
— Journey to the West, Chapter 1
“If a man lacks integrity, what is he good for?” This line directly quotes Confucius’ Analects. The irony? At this point, Wukong has never left the Flower and Fruit Mountain, raising the question: How does a monkey know Confucian philosophy?
Parallels Between Confucius and Wukong
Confucius once stated:
“If the Dao cannot prevail, I shall set adrift on a raft across the seas.”
This reflects his resolve to withdraw from society when his ideals faced rejection, symbolizing a yearning for freedom and disillusionment with reality.
Intriguingly, Sun Wukong mirrors this action: To seek immortality, he builds a raft and sails across the Eastern Sea to Fangcun Mountain, where he studies under Patriarch Subodhi(Subhuti).
Wukong’s Confucian quotes are not plot holes but deliberate cultural syncretism by author Wu Cheng’en. The novel blends Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian ideals, reflecting Ming-era intellectual trends.
Wukong’s eloquence and classical knowledge humanize him, foreshadowing his dual role as both rebel and enlightened disciple.
By weaving Confucianism into a monkey’s rhetoric, Journey to the West transcends mere adventure, becoming a meditation on knowledge, virtue, and the universality of enlightenment.
Note: another pivotal character in Journey to the West, Bodhisattva Guanyin also quotes Confucian words and the Book of Changes.
Leave a Reply