Overall

The first seven chapters recount the birth of the Monkey King and his rebellion against Heaven. Then in chapter eight to twelve, we learn how Tripitaka was born and why he is searching for the scriptures, as well as his preparation for the journey.

One interesting aspect of his personality is the development of his relationship with Tripitaka. Before meeting Tripitaka, Monkey King goes around killing off humans for no reason at all and does things freely.  So Guānyīn teaches Tripitaka to chant the Tightening-Crown spell whenever he needs to chastise Wu Kong. Finally, Monkey King is tortured into obedience to Tripitaka. But, strangely, it all changes during the pilgrimage. Wu Kong seems to grow affection for the monk. Monkey King only wants to protect Tripitaka. When Tripitaka makes him leave, thinking that he killed three innocent humans when in fact they were the same demon in disguise, Monkey King cries over his master. And I cries too when I read this chapter. He cries not for uselessness, but Wu Kong just reacts more emotionally and dramatically to some things. He starts to be human.

All in all, Monkey King is a confident, optimistic person. He doesn't just go down when facing hardships; he devises ways to overcome them, putting a smile on his face even when he has been defeated numerous times. The most intelligent and violent of the disciples, he is constantly reproved for his violence by Tripitaka. In short, Monkey King symbolises hope, justice, and the fighting spirit that we all possess. He made Journey to the West the literary success it is now.                

Besides the monkey king’s prominent personality, some other thing should be mentioned. The story tells of many hardships. But no matter how hard, they can succeed at last. Why? Why can they overcome any kinds of difficult and finally reach the Western Heavens and bring back the scriptures to China .what’s more, Tripitaka and his disciples such as Pigsy and Sandy attain Buddha hood in the end of story. In my opinion, it is not just because of three disciples’ power. The most important key is their faith that they firmly believe they can achieve the goal. Their confidence and courage result in their success. If we can understand it and apply to our study or work, we will necessary benefit from it.