英文摘要
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There are many types of research on Journey to the West (Xi You Ji), and they generally focus on the main characters, namely, Tang Monk (Xuanzang) and his disciples; however, researchers have so far largely ignored a character, the Earth God (Tu Di Gong), even though they appear in every part of the novel. The Monkey King (Wu Kong) and the Earth God are inextricably linked, because the Monkey King may find out the identity of the demon(s) from the Earth God before each battle. Even so, the Earth God have drawn little attention, simply because they are among many low ranking deities who serve only as a foil to the main characters. Despite his lowly stature, the Earth God's existence are indispensable for the plot. Therefore, this paper analyze the role of the Earth God in Journey to the West, and through studying the image of the Earth God, explores the narrative discourse of Journey to the West. Furthermore, we can see how Journey to the West transforms the Earth God into a more insignificant role, and then projects the meaning how they are omniscient within their jurisdiction. Next, we can see that the Earth God are the important role to Journey to the West in every part of its narrative structure. And last but not least, we can see how the Earth God support the main characters in their manifestation of the meaning of cultivating the heart in Journey to the West.
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