The Descending"Master"—The Narrative Significance of the"Master Subdues Demon"Narrative Mode in Journey to the West
According to narratology,those stories in Journey to the West that are about supernatural be-ings'servants becoming demons in the mortal world,follow the same narrative mode named"master sub-dues demon"and have rich narrative significance.The narrator used"apprehensive Tang Monk"as the be-ginning to shift the focus to the struggle between supernatural beings and demons.Then he strengthened the theme of suffering on the journey by"the third role".Finally,he striped away the sacred aura of the story in the descent of"master"and emphasized the uniqueness of"master".Driven by unique cultural psy-chology and narrative intention,the descending"master"is not an abrupt invocation but the real achieve-ment of narrative purpose.As a result,the"master subdues demon"narrative mode distinguishes itself from"deus ex machina"of ancient Greek dramas.
Journey to the Westmaster subdues demondeus ex machinanarratology
万方数据
