Spiritual Wandering and Obsession: Human-Thing Relationships in the Journey to the West
PEI Yali , School of Chinese Language and Literature, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
Front. Lit. Stud. China ›› 2026, Vol. 20 ›› Issue (3) : 278 -292.
This article explores the entanglements between humans and things in the Journey to the West from the perspective of human-thing relationships, drawing on the novel’s descriptions of wuse (the sensuous appearances of things), such as treasures and daily utensils. The relationships between humans and treasures in the Journey to the West reflect the metaphysical thought and spiritual wandering of the late Ming intellectual circles toward an ideal world, while the relationships between humans and daily utensils point to the obsession of the late Ming commoners with real-world wealth. The varied human-thing relationships not only reflect the tension arising from the different late Ming social groups’ respective immersion in ideals and reality but also demonstrate the aspiration for the integration of elite culture and popular culture, ultimately pointing to the vigorous rise of townsfolk culture.
Journey to the West / human-thing relationship / entanglement / treasures / daily utensils
Higher Education Press
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