Manhua Journey to the West, a graphic novel by Zhang Guangyu in 1945, is a nod to the Chinese classic Journey to the Wets by Wu Cheng'en written in the year
1592. It is written around the reign of the KMT and during the second Sino-Japanese
War. From which Zhang uses the style in which Journey to the West was written to "implicate" poke fun of the government and their policies. How does Zhang Guang use the classic Journey to the west to explain the events around 1945 circa China? Why does he use such a frame? To create a adaptation of the classic to relate the events of then China. By using a classic such as the Journey to the West (which was an original satire in its own right),in order to critique the government of the time (KMT) without …show more content…
Evidence the False Qin implies the Japanese and that they are dangerous. "The Japanese Dwarves" have banded together along with rebels from our own land to do multifarious acts of evil, passing off the false as real, and generally acting despoctically." To expand on this, Zhang titles the land the False Win, which I believe it to mean that some citizens viewed Japan as the false kingdom. The word false here implying not virtuous and unholy.( sort of like a fake kingdom under heaven.) Transition here.So far we have seen some evidence of Zhang using the story's light humor to criticize the government in a subtle way.
In section 42, it ends with the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit prosperous as a utopia that was made possible but the teachings of Sun Wukong.(section 40-41)"Sun Wukong announced that, "This play totally distorts and insults the ideals I held dear back then on the Mountain." (By this) Sun means that the play lied about how and what he taught his people. The evidence strongly suggests that Zhang put that detail in the manhua to show how and what the Nationalist party wanted people to know. (to believe that they had their best interest at heart) Therefore they would crush any opposition, including those from the entertainment industry such as
1592. It is written around the reign of the KMT and during the second Sino-Japanese
War. From which Zhang uses the style in which Journey to the West was written to "implicate" poke fun of the government and their policies. How does Zhang Guang use the classic Journey to the west to explain the events around 1945 circa China? Why does he use such a frame? To create a adaptation of the classic to relate the events of then China. By using a classic such as the Journey to the West (which was an original satire in its own right),in order to critique the government of the time (KMT) without …show more content…
Evidence the False Qin implies the Japanese and that they are dangerous. "The Japanese Dwarves" have banded together along with rebels from our own land to do multifarious acts of evil, passing off the false as real, and generally acting despoctically." To expand on this, Zhang titles the land the False Win, which I believe it to mean that some citizens viewed Japan as the false kingdom. The word false here implying not virtuous and unholy.( sort of like a fake kingdom under heaven.) Transition here.So far we have seen some evidence of Zhang using the story's light humor to criticize the government in a subtle way.
In section 42, it ends with the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit prosperous as a utopia that was made possible but the teachings of Sun Wukong.(section 40-41)"Sun Wukong announced that, "This play totally distorts and insults the ideals I held dear back then on the Mountain." (By this) Sun means that the play lied about how and what he taught his people. The evidence strongly suggests that Zhang put that detail in the manhua to show how and what the Nationalist party wanted people to know. (to believe that they had their best interest at heart) Therefore they would crush any opposition, including those from the entertainment industry such as