Recontextualizing Literary Classics With Modernity: A Social Semiotic Analysis of a Comic Adaptation of Journey to the West

Abstract

A large number of literary classics have been transformed into comic works with varied adaptation strategies. As a typical example, Cai Zhizhong’s comic adaptation of Journey to the West has made successful attempts in rewriting the story with modern elements that carry socio-cultural values. Under the general theoretical frameworks of social semiotics, this article seeks to explain what and how these elements are presented and explore how such elements are infused with values that affiliate people of different communities and provoke thoughts on cultural diversity and global issues. It is found that (a) modern elements have been presented with particular ideational, interpersonal, and textual semiotic options and (b) different values have been implanted into these elements through bondicons, iconization, and visual attitudes.