"Romance of the Gods" and "Journey to the West", two popular classics, are treasures in the history of Chinese literature. Each of them has attracted countless readers with its unique charm and rich imagination. However, it is not difficult to find some noticeable differences in these two works. Today, let's take a look at some of the differences between "Romance of the Gods" and "Journey to the West", as well as the cultural connotations behind these differences.
Let's take a look at the pagoda in the hands of King Tota. In "The Romance of the Gods", the pagoda in the hands of Li Jing, the king of Tota, is a delicate pagoda given by the people who burn the lamp. This pagoda has magical powers that can suppress all evil spirits. In "Journey to the West", the pagoda in the hands of Li Jing, the king of Tota, was given by the Buddha. This pagoda also has magical powers, which can suppress all evil spirits. However, in "Journey to the West", this pagoda also has a special role, that is, it can amplify the sound, so that the voice of the King of Tota can be transmitted all over the world.
Let's take a look at the character of Nezha. In "Romance of the Gods", Nezha is a heroic image who is brave and good at fighting, wise and brave. His life and death experience is even more legendary. When Nezha was three years old, he was hunted down by Heaven for accidentally killing Ao Bing, the son of the Dragon King. In the end, Taiyi Zhenren came to the rescue and used the lotus flower to incarnate Nezha to give him a new life. In "Journey to the West", Nezha's image is different. He is also brave and good at fighting, but he does not have the complicated life and death experience in "Romance of the Gods". In "Journey to the West", Nezha was reborn and became the first god general of Buddhism because of the compassionate heart of the Buddha.
Through the above comparison, we can see that there are obvious differences between "Romance of the Gods" and "Journey to the West" in the depiction of the two characters of Nezha and Tota Heavenly King. These differences not only reflect the different creative backgrounds and cultural connotations of the two works, but also reflect the authors' different understandings and shaping of the heroic image.
Judging from Nezha's life and death experience, Nezha in "Romance of the Gods" is even more legendary, and his life and death experience is full of twists and turns and variables. To a certain extent, this reflects the background of the creation of "Romance of the Gods", that is, the social turmoil in the last years of the Ming Dynasty and the impermanence of personal fate. Nezha in "Journey to the West" is more concise and clear, and his life and death experience is more like a symbol, reflecting the Buddhist concept of karma and the belief in reincarnation.
Judging from the pagoda in the hands of the Tota Heavenly King, both works give the pagoda magical powers, which can suppress all evil spirits. This not only reflects the opposing concepts of justice and excellence in traditional Chinese culture, but also highlights the author's pursuit of shaping the image of heroes. However, in terms of specific givers and roles, there are obvious differences between "Romance of the Gods" and "Journey to the West". The Linglong Pagoda in "Romance of the Gods" was given by the people who lit the lamp, and the Linglong Pagoda in "Journey to the West" was given by the Buddha. This difference not only reflects the different religious and cultural orientations of the two works, but also reflects the authors' different expectations for the image of heroes.
Although "Romance of the Gods" and "Journey to the West" are both classical masterpieces, there are obvious differences in the depiction of the two characters of Nezha and Tota Heavenly King. These differences not only reflect the different creative backgrounds and cultural connotations of the two works, but also reflect the authors' different understandings and shaping of the heroic image. It is precisely these differences that make these two works unique and become immortal classics in the history of Chinese literature.