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Wei-Chen Sun
The creator of the world in the Monkey King’s story. He’s a tall individual who takes the form of a human, with red flowing robes, long hair and beard, and a tall curved staff. He introduces himself to the Monkey King as someone who was, is, and “shall forever be”—that is, he’s everywhere, both in terms of space and time. He demonstrates this by announcing that he created the Monkey King and, when the Monkey King flies to the end of all that is and urinates on five pillars marking the end of the universe, Tze-Yo-Tzuh shows the Monkey King that the five pillars were actually his five fingers. When he speaks to the Monkey King, he does so slowly, wisely, and calmly. He insists that the Monkey King is being foolish by trying to be something other than a monkey, and says that he creates everything perfectly—so there’s nothing the Monkey King needs to change about himself, and the Monkey King’s desire to be a human is extremely silly. When the Monkey King refuses to accept this, Tze-Yo-Tzuh buries the Monkey King under a mountain of rock that keeps the Monkey King from practicing kung-fu. Five hundred years later, with the help of his emissaries, Tze-Yo-Tzuh sends the monk Wong Lai-Tsao on a quest and offers him the Monkey King as a disciple. This has the desired effect: with some coaxing, the Monkey King turns back into a monkey, agrees to serve Wong Lai-Tsao, and acts as a faithful emissary of Tze-Yo-Tzuh going forward.
Tze-Yo-Tzuh Quotes in American Born Chinese
The American Born Chinese quotes below are all either spoken by Tze-Yo-Tzuh or refer to Tze-Yo-Tzuh. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 4
Quotes
“Silly monkey. You were never out of my reach. You only fooled yourself.”
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Chapter 7
Quotes
“The form you have taken is not truly your own. Return to your true form and you shall be freed.”
“Is there no end to your stupidity, you sod?! That seal above me prevents me from exercising kung-fu!”
“Returning to your true form is not an exercise of kung-fu, but a release of it.”
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“Mortal, there are demons behind you.”
“Yes. I am aware of them. That is why I ask you to free yourself quickly.”
“And if I refuse?”
“If it is the will of Tze-Yo-Tzuh for me to die for your stubbornness, then I accept.”
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“To find your true identity...within the will of Tze-Yo-Tzuh...that is the highest of all freedoms.”
“So is your ‘true identity’ the supper of two demons?”
“Perhaps...is yours the eternal prisoner...of a mountain of rock?”
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Chapter 9
Quotes
“Take this with you. It’s a human child’s toy that transforms from monkey to humanoid form. Let it remind you of who you are.”
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Tze-Yo-Tzuh Quotes in American Born Chinese
The American Born Chinese quotes below are all either spoken by Tze-Yo-Tzuh or refer to Tze-Yo-Tzuh. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 4
Quotes
“Silly monkey. You were never out of my reach. You only fooled yourself.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7
Quotes
“The form you have taken is not truly your own. Return to your true form and you shall be freed.”
“Is there no end to your stupidity, you sod?! That seal above me prevents me from exercising kung-fu!”
“Returning to your true form is not an exercise of kung-fu, but a release of it.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“Mortal, there are demons behind you.”
“Yes. I am aware of them. That is why I ask you to free yourself quickly.”
“And if I refuse?”
“If it is the will of Tze-Yo-Tzuh for me to die for your stubbornness, then I accept.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“To find your true identity...within the will of Tze-Yo-Tzuh...that is the highest of all freedoms.”
“So is your ‘true identity’ the supper of two demons?”
“Perhaps...is yours the eternal prisoner...of a mountain of rock?”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9
Quotes
“Take this with you. It’s a human child’s toy that transforms from monkey to humanoid form. Let it remind you of who you are.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
