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Wu Cheng'en, Transl. Anthony C. YuA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
The Journey to the West is often hailed as an excellent example of syncretism, the combining of different systems of belief. The Journey to the West contains elements of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, reflecting the syncretic makeup of Chinese culture. Are these elements on an equal footing in the story, or does the text seem to favor one of the systems of thought over the others?
Teaching Suggestion: This prompt asks students to address a critical question regarding The Journey to the West. It is a complex question, and you may wish to offer students guidelines about the depth of coverage you expect. If limited time is available but you want to increase depth of coverage, you might create groups and assign each group one of the three philosophies to research within the text.
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