preface
In the vast sea of Chinese classical literature, "Journey to the West" and "Water Margin" are undoubtedly two shining masterpieces.
The former depicts the legendary experience of the four Tang monks and apprentices learning scriptures from the west with fantastical brushstrokes, while the latter shows the heroism and tragedy of the heroes of Liangshan through vivid character portrayals and twists and turns.
However, when we look at these two works from the same perspective, we find that they are strikingly similar at the outline level.
The story line of these two famous novels is basically the same: the protagonist debuts - rebels - is recruited - accepts the task of his superiors - goes through hardships - completes the task......
Let's compare and explain it in detail.
1. At the beginning, the protagonist's debut and rebellion
Judging from the beginning of the story, "Journey to the West" and "Water Margin" both depict the rebellious spirit of the protagonist.
In "Journey to the West", Sun Wukong made havoc in the Heavenly Palace, challenged the authority of the heavenly court, and showed a strong sense of rebellion.
And Song Jiang in "Water Margin", dissatisfied with the corruption of the imperial court and the oppression of the government, led a group of heroes to settle in Liangshan, which also showed the spirit of resistance.
The protagonists of both works are in conflict with mainstream society for their own reasons, and thus embark on the path of rebellion.
Second, the tortuous recruitment process
Next, both works depict the process by which the protagonist and his team are recruited.
In "Journey to the West", after a series of tribulations, Sun Wukong was finally accepted by the Buddha, converted to Buddhism, became an apprentice of Tang Seng, and embarked on a journey to learn scriptures in the west.
The process of Sun Wukong being recruited was full of twists and turns, first he became Bi Ma Wen, and then he was named the "Monkey King", and finally tore his face with the heavenly court, fought hard, was suppressed by the Buddha, and finally joined the scripture learning team.
Zhu Bajie and Monk Sha also have a process of being recruited, but they are not as exciting as Sun Wukong.
And Song Jiang in "Water Margin", after Liangshan's power grew, he defeated the officials and troops sent by the imperial court many times, on the surface they were not defeated, in fact, this is the author's beautification of Liangshan's heroes, if the whole country is poured into encirclement and suppression, Liangshan heroes are at best a group of bandits, and there is no chance of winning at all.
Song Jiang accepted the imperial court's recruitment, led the heroes of Liangshan to fight in all directions, and served the country.
Although the reasons and processes of Zhao'an are different, and the length of the two books is also different, in "Journey to the West", the content of rebellion and being recruited does not account for a large proportion of the whole book, and in "Water Margin", the plot of the heroes rebelling and being recruited accounts for more than half of the whole book, but both works transform the protagonist from a rebel to a legitimate member of society through this plot.
3. Perform the tasks assigned by the superior with difficulty
After receiving Zhao'an, he has to complete a new task.
In the process of completing the mission, both works show the twists and turns of the protagonist and his team.
In "Journey to the West", the four Tang monks and apprentices went through nine hundred and eighty-one difficulties before they finally obtained the true scriptures and achieved positive results. These tribulations not only test their will and ability, but also allow them to grow and progress in the ordeal.
The heroes of Liangshan in "Water Margin", in the process of resisting foreign enemies and quelling civil strife, experienced countless life and death tests and the tempering of brotherhood, and completed the task of protecting their families and defending the country at the cost of most of the casualties.
Although Sun Wukong is not the leader of the experience-learning team, he is the most capable one in the team. And although Song Jiang's force value is not high, he is the number one leader of Liangshan's team.
Although there are only four people in the scripture learning team plus a white dragon horse, their support group is very strong, and they are all immortals from all walks of life.
The Liangshan team has 108 people, including all kinds of talents, which can be called a luxury lineup.
Both works show the hardships and dedication of the protagonist and his team in the process of completing the mission through twists and turns.
Fourth, the cultivation of the right fruit - eternal life and death
In the end, both works end with the protagonist and his team achieving a positive result.
In "Journey to the West", the four Tang monks and apprentices obtained the true scriptures, each obtained the Buddha fruit, and realized the sublimation of individuals and teams.
In "Water Margin", although the heroes of Liangshan paid great sacrifices in the battle, they defeated the strongest opponent - Fang La, and finally won the recognition of the imperial court, and some of the survivors were also knighted. Although Song Jiang and others were framed by traitors, their deeds were widely spread among the people and were well received.
Both works have a relatively happy ending, affirming the dedication and efforts of the protagonist and his team, and also conveying the positive message that good will eventually triumph over evil and good will eventually be rewarded.
epilogue
Through the analysis of the outline level of "Journey to the West" and "Water Margin", it is not difficult to find the similarities between them.
Whether it is the protagonist's rebellion and recruitment, or the twists and turns of the team's completion of the task, and the final positive result, it reflects the commonality of the story structure of the two works.
This similarity is not accidental, but a tradition and pattern formed in the creative process of classical Chinese literature.
This tradition and model not only makes the works more attractive and appealing, but also reflects the admiration and pursuit of heroism and justice in ancient society.
Although "Journey to the West" and "Water Margin" have similarities at the outline level, they have their own unique styles and characteristics in terms of character building, plot setting, language expression, etc.
"Journey to the West" belongs to romantic mythological novels, which also have elements of the real world, and "Water Margin" belongs to realistic historical novels, which also have a small number of mythological elements.
"Journey to the West" has attracted countless readers with its fantastical colors and humorous language.
Through the portrayal of characters with distinctive personalities such as Monkey King and Zhu Bajie, as well as the depiction of fantasy worlds such as heaven and earth, the work shows an artistic world full of imagination and creativity.
At the same time, "Journey to the West" also conveys profound themes such as cultivation and growth, so that readers can get inspiration and insights in entertainment.
And "Water Margin" has won widespread praise for its profound social insights and rich character images.
Through the vivid portrayal of Liangshan heroes such as Song Jiang, Lu Zhishen, and Wu Song, the work shows their bravery, loyalty, and righteousness, and also reveals the darkness and corruption of the society at that time.
At the same time, "Water Margin" also conveys positive ideas such as resisting oppression and pursuing freedom, so that readers can get thoughts and inspiration while enjoying the story.
To sum up, although "Journey to the West" and "Water Margin" are similar at the outline level, they have their own unique styles and characteristics in terms of character building, plot setting, language expression, etc.
Both of these works are treasures in classical Chinese literature, which deserve our in-depth reading and savoring. By appreciating these two works, we can not only appreciate the charm and wisdom of ancient literature, but also draw inspiration and strength from them.