Supernatural heroes and legal consciousness: reconsidering the legal discourse in The journey to the west

The present article engages with the commonly held assumption that supernatural heroes in classic Chinese literature often operate outside the bounds of the law, creating an impression that they might supersede secular administrative and jurisdictional powers. The supernatural elements seem to cover up the hidden legal consciousness and legal behaviors behind the narrative, and few scholars have noticed the potential of their integration and interaction instead of opposition. Taking one of China’s four great classic literary works, The journey to the west, as an example, the article integrates textual close readings with cultural and philosophical analysis to uncover the intricate yet existing dynamic between supernatural heroes and legal consciousness in the context of the novel. By examining the characters’ subtle legal consciousness behind their actions and strategic manipulations throughout the narrative, the article challenges conventional simplified interpretations that portray supernatural heroes solely as defying the law. Particularly, it seeks to reevaluate the perceived lawlessness of characters such as Sun Wukong and to offer a more complicated, even sometimes paradoxical, understanding of their actions within the legal framework.