The Monkey King Individualism Analysis

One of the most influential and prominent times of the American history was the Transcendentalist period. Transcendentalism was a philosophical movement that developed in the late 1800s. Transcendentalists believed in many aspects, however their central ideas focused on the inherent goodness of both people and nature. Influential Transcendentalists included Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Frederic Henry Hedge. They believed that that the purity of the individual could be corrupted by society and its institutions, some of which include organized religion and political parties. They had faith that people are at their best when truly "self-reliant" and independent. In “The Monkey King,” a short story by an unknown author, the main …show more content…
Although the Transcendentalist movement was roughly 200 years ago, there are many stories older than those that convey characteristics of Transcendentalism; however, there is a story in Chinese folklore that stands out. In Chinese folklore, the famous story of “The Monkey King” is a prime example of transcendentalism, due to the representation of individualism, nonconformity, and spontaneity within the story. “The Monkey King’s” portrayal of individualism displays more prominent Transcendentalist thoughts and ideas. Individualism, the idea of the celebration of the individual without the rules set by society, is one of the fundamental ideas of Transcendentalism. It inspires free thought and actions based on a person’s values, not the values of others. In “Self-Reliance,” Emerson writes of his life with detailed journals of his thoughts and actions. He discusses individualism when he states, “To be great is to be misunderstood” (Emerson,). Emerson is implying that many of the …show more content…
The tenet of spontaneity means that each should embrace life as if it is here for today, but could be gone tomorrow. Transcendentalists believed in living for what presents itself to us today, today, and worry about living what presents itself tomorrow, tomorrow. In Thoreau’s “Walden,” he states, “Let us spend one day as deliberately as Nature, and not be thrown off track by every nutshell and mosquito's wing that falls on the rails. Let us rise early and fast, or break fast, gently and without perturbation; let company come and let company go, let the bells ring and the children cry,--determine to make a day of it” (Thoreau). Thoreau is saying that it is necessary to seize each day and make each day worthwhile. He is implying that there is nothing to prevent one’s goals from being accomplished and that if attempted, they can are fulfillable. Monkey’s first trip on his quest is to gain immortality, which called him to adventure. The morning after he decided to be immortal, he “ordered a pine raft to be built and loaded with fruit for the journey…[and soon he] started across the sea”(Monkey King). Monkey shows spontaneity within the impulsiveness of his decisions While one may view his decision as impetuous, monkey sees it as a necessary life goal, and eventually accomplishes his dreams, rather than keep