The Subject. "journey To The West"

The research on the purport of "Journey to the West" has been a lively subject but has no final conclusion. This paper takes text research and historical examination as method, based on Hu Shi and Lu Xun's viewpoint of game, and adds further analysis and verifications to propose that "Journey to the West" is a recreational novel. The paper demonstrates the viewpoint from the text and other aspects such as novel plot, characteristics and artistic style. The paper also analyzes and proves from author's thought, creation attitude and the influence of China's funny esthtics tradition.The first part of the paper mainly reviews all kinds of viewpoints about the research of the purport and then comments the previous different viewpoints, analyzes its causes and points out its shortcomings. Then based on the viewpoint of game, the paper proposes that "Journey to the West" is a recreational novel without any objective aids. This part also gives some necessary explanation and definition to the concepts of purport and recreational novel.The second part mainly analyse the plot and character. The ridiculous plot design shows creative purposes. The conflict plot and the departure from common sense of life may reflect its recreational writing purposes. Figures'humorous personality and comic performance and the relationship between the characters also reflect its recreational writing purport.The third part discusses the recreational purport from its artistic features. The novel has distinctive comedy style .Its recreational purpose can be reflected from the buffoonery description in the book., the teasing and taunts plots and.the ubiquitous game attitude. Because the author has a deeper insight into the situation of the world, he has seen through everything, so he can condescendand overlook life, Parody the situation of the world, thereby created a sense of humor, created ridiculous. The book was filled with the author's self-confidence and wisdom that contempt the authority and the mass,it was also filled with courage and boldness thus he can take all for joke. In addition, the novel has distinctive fairy tale features, it also reflects the novel's recreational purposes. The fairy tale has game feature, it can achieve the purpose of entertainment from invirtual and imitation, without realy purpose. The novel takes animal as leading role ..the imagination and variety are unusual, use child's behavior and child`s language to express child's taste of innocent with childish manner, outstanding child`s innocent interesting aspect. The buffoonery and derision of Language also have very strong comedy result .The forth part is an Introduction about author's personal life experiences, his character and mind, creative attitude and the times environment that he located ,and the artistic and cultural trend of that time .Analyse how these factors have impacted on the novel`s purport. And piont out that Chinese traditional comedy factors have impacted and nurtured him and his works . Thus From other aspects proved that the appearance of this kind of novel is not accidental. I also put it into Chinese Literary History and the course of Chinese history and culture to give further evidence to prove the novel's recreational purport .